


Lose You In Time...

by pritispuki



Series: Nordic tragedy [1]
Category: Loki - Fandom, Thor (Movies), loki marvel, loki mythology
Genre: Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Character Death, F/M, Magic, Other, Reincarnation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-18
Updated: 2016-01-31
Packaged: 2018-04-13 03:03:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 73
Words: 107,335
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4505220
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pritispuki/pseuds/pritispuki
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>this is a sequel to the Nordic Tragedy series,so please read that first:http://archiveofourown.org/works/3540746/chapters/7793441<br/>,and many tnx to all who did.<br/>so this is a story about reincarnated loki as william,his young wife,hel as lydia,and their children.<br/>after losing his family again,in the modern era ,william despairs,but the return of loki s son,lucien will change everything.namely ,the half jotun,half-eleven young man has an offer that can change the history.but there is one condition....he has to go back in time and become LOKI again.but does time travel truly changes everything?<br/></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Fragile Things...

**Author's Note:**

> so wellsee21,you wanted this...  
> .anyway...all ideas are welcome,please do not let me hang in here alone like in the previous tales

there was a loud sound of something crashing in the kitchen.one did not had to be a genius to realize that peter has done it again.  
after leaving the comforting warmness of their bed and exposing her skin to the chilly autumn wind that irritated her and entered their apartment like some local thief (and they already had problems with those),lydia ,reluctantly put on her slippers,for she knew very well what she will find in there.

william groaned,his hair messy as always in the morning and eyes still half closed:"um...what?"  
before she even opened her mouth to respond,there was a loud wailing ,followed by:"mammmmmmmmmaa!"

"that!"-she sighed and pointed out  to the next room.  
little peter , was in his reckless mood again .well, actually he never was at rest.he would woke up before everyone else and then run around the place.in the kinder-garden he was accused to pick up fights with the other kids and pretend to be luke skywalker swinging plastic swords around.after he ,hurt one girl,but purely accidentally,he was expelled,so now his warn out parents had to rely on petula or occasional nannies -who cost. so joggling between her studies,an older husband who struggles to find a better job and two 6 year olds,only makes lydia  hide deep within herself and scream internally.on the outside,she has to be strong for all of them,but she fears ,she will crack anytime soon.

peter let out another roaring sound,and she jumped to his aid.  
the broken cookie jar said it all,...also the chair that was  moved from it s original position....and- he was sitting in the pile of glass with a bleeding knee ,all read in the face ,angry at his parents for placing those damn cookies so high,and angry at himself for being so clumsy ...again.  
it was so surprising how his older twin was in the contrast to him.phillip was a larger child ,quiet,observing and with an incredibly wise advises directed to his brother.it was so unusual for such a small kid,but somehow...his parents understood him.

"maybe he is a crystal child?"-william teased,but then...who knows?he did have those characteristics-good intuition,lucid dreams...he took after will,has he not,for his father was now under influence of ...that book.a mystery he wishes to solve and he will not rest until he finds out who this author is.he was positive that this is not just some cunning joke.oh,no!the book activated pictures ...no,memories...that started to  change  him in a way he would never imagine.

phillip just woke up and was standing at the door ,holding his blanky,like some kind of a protection shield,but the black haired girl could only see those shattered pieces  that were lying round .she blinked few times...for a moment there,her son was few years older,wore strange ,kinda medieval clothing.he also caused something to be broken...the wine,perhaps?and there were some servants there...what?she rubbed her eyes and the weird vision was gone...blame it on the lack of sleep.that's what it was,yeah...

"mommy!"

"oh,peter..."-she grabbed him and put him on the chair .the wound was not drastic but the cleaning part would sting a bit,so more ear damaging yelling to be endured.  
"i...i wanted some cookies..."-he manged throughout the tears.

"will he die,mommy?"-asked phillip,also preparing for the crying .  
william who,really needed some strong coffee right now, took the other boy and went with him to his small room:"now,calm down...all will be fine.it s just a small bruise.you know how your brother is?"  
"but, daddy..i am afraid for peter ...i feel something bad is going to happen."  
william tucked him in and stayed silent for a while.  
"what...how do you mean...you feel something bad is going to happen,phillip?"  
"i dont know...i just do".

his cheeks were puffy,and brows furrowed.how can daddy be so stupid and ignorant?he should understand him perfectly! it is so hard to explain certain things to the grown ups...

46 yo ex professor watched as the boy hides  under the sheets cocooning himself ,so he resembled a large worm? and tries to fall asleep again.that reminded him of something...and  he felt that phillip could be right.

their little paradise was like that cookie jar-a very fragile thing ,after all...

 


	2. She sells sanctuary

"he is waking up,doctor!"-a female voice ,and it s exclamation only made him open his eyes wide in shock from what he just heard ,but then he squinted them immediately so they would not suffer from those blinding neon lights above his head.  
"it is a miracle!"-she was disillusioned,of thinking that her voice was charming.it was quite the opposite..  
william looked to his side and saw this short woman with a huge cheesy smile and a tall man dressed in white coat gazing at him if he was an alien from another dimension.

the doctor quickly grabbed his stethoscopes and listened to his heart .despite the unpleasant coldness of the equipment,all seems to be in order.  
when he was done,he asked,and his tone,unlike the nurses was "undistinguished":"mr.thompson,you are in the hospital.."  
"umh...why?"-was all his dry throat could produce and form into words.  
"do you not remember?"  
\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
few days ago...  
the car was pulled in the university s parking lot .it was a stitched up old ford fiesta from 1996.,which his crazy cousin from the" land down under", painted in the "strong manly red"-hahahaha ,william laughed...it was so tacky,but then again,he gave it to him ,free of charge,...as long as he is in town.it was an old timer,he  
said.  
mmmmmmmmmmmmmhhhhhmmmmmm...yes,well...

usually his visits were directed to the kids.he would bring all sorts of candies (which he would eat in the end,because will wanted them to eat healthy and jack would always choose a greasy pizza over chicken and rice) and gifts that only suggested to the boys that they should pick a sport and go professional:balls,those large gloves,caps,...he was not a quitter,and he did inspired peter to chase that soccer ball around.and peter was a sour loser.so when his "uncle jack" defended the goal,the boy shot that stupid ball right into his stomach.  
but jack laughed,and laughed.he loved the boys,even though ,he was concerned about phillip.  
"he is not into ballet,right?i mean it s fine with me,but..!"  
lydia heard that and smacked the back of his head.

yes,jack s visits were considered to be fun and funny,and worry free...but not this one,and not today.  
it was all expected from the very beginning...that his and lydia s relationship would not be welcome by ...anyone.her parents told her that she is a slut and stopped picking up the phone,her friends teased her mercilessly that she is sleeping with an old man...and without a proper reason-he doesn't even have enough money!

willliam avoided the scandal by getting fired in his previous placement where they have met,and... he also never got any approval from his mates.  
"she is great for fucking,but for marriage?are you fucking crazy will?  
oh,shit-she is pregnant?are you sure it is yours?!"  
and that was not stopping...at all...

and now,there was jack,a tall bulky sunshiny guy who never said anything against anyone...he literally grabbed his shorter british "brother in the third knee" (eye-roll) and drove like mad to get here.apparently, he saw lydia hanging out not only with her not so overly dressed girl friends ,but also some suspicious boys.

"you are probably over exaggerating as usual!"-will found his pack of ciggs in his pocket...oh,he needed them,and of course smoking around the boys was forbidden.  
"no smoking in the car!"-jack yelled  
.he didn't mean to,but he was unaware of the strength of his own voice.and he was all for that healthy body,healthy life sorta mambo-jumbo.he is killing willliam with this nonsense ,but he keeps spreading the sporty spirit.

"fuck you!i ll bloody smoke whenever i want !you fucker...you dragged me all away here ,so that i would spy on my wife...!"

then he lost his words...not so far from them was a group of student girls.they obviously never heard of long pants or skirts and lydia was no different.in her tight black dress that revealed more than it should and those fish net nylons it was not hard to mistake her for a cheap prostitute ...what would distinct her from such was a large thick book on human anatomy that she hold .and next to her was a tall pale long haired guy.

william clenched his fists.oh ,this guy would be an ideal for her,now would he?he wore a typical leather jackets with bunch of zippers,some shirt with a band logo and a nasty martens...and he was all over her-forget his gorgeous filthy smile,his hands were on her shoulders,caressed her hair,...and she giggled to it all.  
"see!i told you!"-the blond man brought him back to reality.  
"it...it doesn't have to mean anything.."-he was in denial,or tried to be.

but then ,that metal head ,kissed her upon the cheek,and william s mouth were left hanging open.  
"i think we saw enough."-the australian was compassionate as always.."i ll drive you home."  
the fallen professor felt his tears rising up to the surface...he should have known...he should.have .know....maybe everyone was right,all along.maybe she really was too young for him,and needed to experience the world (and other men),or maybe he was to old for her...and boring.it would be so much easier if he actually had a proper job,and not run around like and idiot and comparing those short term ones to the christmas miracle.  
and sex...he had not thought so much about it...but yes,there were some problem indications as well...maybe it was all just something fashionable among students these days-to try all that cutting and s&m.and he had provided her with some kinky stuff she asked for ,but he would hate himself for hurting her.

instead he r found himself watching her as she peacefully dreams,and all he wanted is to protect her.his instincts were truly...paternal.and she was forever a..rebellious child.  
"so...what will you do?"  
"huh..? i do not know..."

 

 

                                                                                    


	3. Rain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for those who didn't read in the comments,thor is jack.and sorry ...my keyboard is half-dead...sighs...tnx for reading.i appreciate it.

lydia started her days with a soft humming while she brushed her silky dark hair.it has been long since she last felt like it,but ...that ,seemingly at first,insignificant routine,was her small gift to herself.she felt like a queen,and not a young student mom in the 1.5 room rented apartment.but finally...the tables were turning:the graduation date was approaching ,and ,hopefully she will find herself a job within her field.but,then again, she will do anything for starters.

she sighed as she invoked the mental images of stressed out william ,who has been waking up on the wrong side of the bed...and especially lately.so,she embraced the role of a modern super mom -she tried to be supportive when he got depressed .. running from her classes to cook and clean, barely taking any time to rest.this 5 minutes in the morning were hers for the taking.  
" no negative thoughts..",she reminded herself once more.the boys were already having breakfast,her darling hubby was drinking his coffee and reading newspapers,and nothing could ruin her day.nothing...  
\----------------------------------------  
although he wore the fake plastered smile as a mask when he spoke to her,he could not,but to feel tiny daggers poking straight into his betrayed heart.over and over again...he even had nightmares where he would walk through an endless beige hallway ...finally,he would stop in front of one of the massive ebony doors.those were the doors like many others ,but behind this ones,was lydia. he ,of course has not seen her,but from the sounds ,it was quite easy to get an idea what was she doing in there...and with another man.

he blinked few times and hysterically turned ,only to find her sleeping ever so innocently next to him.  
blasted dream! he thought,and turned on that lamp on his side.she was in peace,completely unaware of any accusations that were above her like a stormy cloud.she was so easy to destroy...  
oh,he could say that he let that dimwit influence him,which almost made him cause an irreversible damage in their relationship....and wouldn't that be a shame like no other-william thompson taking advises from jack hammerton....

after confirming that his little wife is still sound to sleep,he breathed out,slowly running fingers through his greyish hair and ended the act with harshly rubbing his neck as a somewhat self punishing .oh, the consequences of his conclusions ... what has he become? a mad man in the mad world...was this a middle life crisis?it must have been...but...there was always that darn but?!-he had to be sure....and he shall be.  
\-------------------------------------------------------------------------  
it was raining ,like the sky itself knew how this fatal day would end.there was a lightning...and another ...a typical mischievous autumn...maybe there was this fall wind spirit who would barren the trees and carried all those leaves onto the streets ,so he could watch them die after they land on the asphalt.

william checked his hand watch for the fifth time,and groaned.lydia was in that apartment on the second floor for nearly 2 hours.  
jack nodded and added his own groan as an understanding or some sort or a secret code known only to the two of them .he was chewing his pink gum the whole time while they sat in his ugly fiesta and pretended to be captain america and his sidekick sherlock...or whatever.fuck,jack still had his captain america pillow back in sydney...he was not the one to grow up any time soon.  
the lights in that place were on the whole time ,so our anti-spies could observe what was the little slut doing.  
lydia was usually unusually late home after classes over this few weeks and now william accepted jack s decision to follow her after school.extra classes,my ass!  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
the young pale mother really had those extra classes,for she asked her professors to give her more time ,due to her private duties.it was so fortunate that they allowed her so.and now she could finally relax.she recently met this new assistant luka.

luka was from norway,but he spoke english perfectly ,and the moment she saw him,she knew,she,felt deep within her every cell that he ....he what?she would stop then and contemplate.what was luka to her?yes,physically he would be  an ideal guy for her ,but..no,her feelings for him were purer.he was like her brother,a brother she always wanted to have.and they shared the same thoughts on most of the things.not only those trivial such as music and studies,but upon existence itself.when he spoke to her ,he spoke to her soul,much as william had at the beginning of their relationship.the difference was,that she never got anxious or afraid when she was with her new friend.

talking to him was a  like a breath of fresh air.she needed to step away from all the drama back home.and ,luka has invited her and some other  friends over for a small party-few drinks,junk food,maybe some childish social game...she gladly accepted.pretending to be a kid again,after all that frustrations...for only few hours...why,the heck not?  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

jack was still chewing on that gum ,which has probably lost it s taste and hour and half ago,and continued to be a pain in the ass,really.but william could not do this on his own.a moral support from that comedian was actually essential,despite the fact the he would never admit that out loud.he really needed him,and that fool was aware of this.he adored acting all protective over his smaller cousin .

lydia and luka set near the window while the rest of the crew scattered on the floor,thuss they stayed invisible to anyone watching them from the streets. such a pity.  
she was enjoying herself..and she seemed so...happy.that guy was making her ...happy.the vertigo of will s emotions was hard to describe...his little witch has played him out ...she ripped his heart out,she pretended to love him...and the boys...peter and phillip...william slammed his fist ...were they his at all?  
he will confront her...  
\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
"where were you?"  
the voice came out from the dark,and it seemed so inhuman .as it was carved from the darkness itself.she slowly took of her jacket and placed her heavy bag on the hanger,but the hanger could not stand the weight of it and fell making a loud thud.a bad sign-she thought,and judging by william s mood ,this is going to be another loooong exhausting night.

"i went to the  friend s place.we had a couple of drinks.why?"

she was looking him straight in the eyes..it was ridiculous but he would believe that she is lying otherwise.  
he was standing tall,move-less, leaned onto the wall with his hands crossed,and starring at her...just starring.  
she shook her head...it was already pulsating,both from drinks and this...:"look ,if that s all,i am heading to bed.i am so tired..."  
"no!"-he yelled and she froze.

"that is not all,you bitch!do you find me to be an idiot!?"  
"what?"

he was,all of the sodden in her face and digging his nails into her upper arms :"i know you are fucking around! i saw you!"

the only thing she could do,was to stare at him in utter shock,he has finally lost it.his face was deformed from anger and his eyes were darkening by the second.

 

                                             

 

"you are insane,william!  i do not know what are talking about !you need help! now,please let me go!"

their yelling only woke the boys up and they were now witnessing this ugly scene...

"how dare you speak to me like that?!i have gave you everything,and this is how you repay me?!"-their father roared and slapped their mommy so hard she ended on the cheap parquet,with blood streaming down her nose. she was horrified,confused and helpless...what has she done wrong?!that very moment ,william felt himself being so small and ashamed,he had to fix this...his monstrous behavior...but it was to late....

peter came out of nowhere to defend his mommy,kicked him with his tiny feet and after one loud "i hate you!"-run outside the apartment and right on the wet streets.phillip quickly followed ,still carrying his blanky:"no! peter wait!"

it was a friday night and there were many drunk drivers out there.sadly ,peter and phillip weren't fast enough to avoid  one of them...


	4. We Could Be Heroes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FOR THOSE WHO R CONFUSED_THIS IS THE SEQUEL TO THE NORDIC TRAGEDY_NOT PART 1 !  
> i am sorry but i can not list it differently.thank u for reading.

"it was hit and run...no one knows who did it."  
those that attended the last goodbye of the  two small twins were in a small number,but they were sickeningly loud.they talked more than payed the respects..it was an unusual ,yet a truly awful,just awful situation,they said.some added ..."we ll go to get some coffee afterwards,ok?this shoes are killing me! i need to sit down ...this has exhausted me."

those who cried were in an even smaller number...jack s weeping was synchronized with the thunder ,his nose red as his shirt,for, a positive ,warm-blooded guy as he,he had nothing black except the jeans he wore today.  
william ,standing in the front row ,closed his umbrella and let the accusing ,vengeful drops treat him without any respect or mercy.he prayed that the lightening struck him ,he prayed that his children are alive and well...he would give his life for theirs...

"ashes to ashes ...dust to dust.."-the priest was finishing...although he had a share of funerals behind him,those including small children would stuck vividly in his memory.william saw true empathy in his eyes and only waited for them to turn onto him and send his worthless soul to the bottomless pit.

when the shovels started their part,he was completely broken...he was a person no more,but a one with nothingness...  
"i am so sorry!"-he cried out ,finally realizing that this is his reality now...

all those kind neighbors made this into a mental note...they ll have something to talk later on ,in the warm cafe...so,their weird neighbor has gone mad,his wife was,as assumed a whore and kids had no manners at all.no wonder they were hit by a car,with having parents like that.but their true feelings are to stay unsaid for now...no ,they will play a sympathetic role,for they were a good hearted people ,as it was known.they rarely spoke with the thompsons ,but they did came here ,on this horrible rainy day,have they not?

both william and lydia knew all this,and if it was not his fault,he would react violently against those rude sneaky tongues ,but he could not move.he was falling ,without falling ...that firm grasp of jack was his only rock of stability.  
next to him,she stood...pale as the moonlight and deep as the ocean.visibly she has not move an inch,but william could sense the uncontrollable outburst that is to come...her watery eyes were running widely as if she was planning something,or discovering...  
but even-though,she was mute...and deaf to the world...it was only her,her dead sons and that ,that it is beyond comprehension....suddenly death seemed so familiar and so home like...  
\-------------------------------------------------------------  
the rain had no intention of stopping...streets were empty ,besides few cars and those unsuccessfully shielding themselves with umbrellas from the blows of the cold wind ...  
"hey ,watch where you are going!"

it was a traditional yell of someone being splashed by the uncaring car driver.  
the guy in the flat above theirs would usually listening to the music channel at this hour and he made no exception today,not even for them.oh ,those boys died,well shit happens...  
it was the 70s/80s hits night, a 4 hours marathon,and he didn't have the slightest intention of turning the tone down ,not even a bit.

  
an unknown time ago there was the angry voice of ozzy osbourne in the song "paraonoid " filing the building.  
an inexplicably turmoiled emerald eyes of one william thompson were slowly being closed as the memories of his younger sons came flooding in...peter would jump around and dance to that song as if it was the best party song ever.he has not understood the message of it,but the rhythm was good enough...not much was needed to energize him,and he  liked everything fast.lydia s influence...no doubt.

and peter..peter liked slower songs, like "my heart will go on",( he was actually fascinated with all that included deep waters ...such as "the titanic",although that was not a proper movie for such a small child),roxy music and "avalon "(as he sang that,he reminded so much of lydia who wanted to have her own band once...the moment she found out about her pregnancy,she erased any self centered goals from her mind,or at least she never spoke of them again...another thing that made william feel even more guilty...she had such an angelic voice...).  
had...yes had...and he had to open those windows of his weeping soul to look at her again ...he had to be sure...as she was lying in his arms on the bathroom floor...timeless as always...beautiful in her sadness...unforgiving in her silence...he had to be sure that she...but ,yes ,she did.she grabbed to opportunity when they arrived back...closed herself here and...he gently caressed her white cheek...she slit her writs...

rain was still attacking those who have dared to step outside,so the guy turned sound on the tv ,absolutely positive the it could not be heard in amount it really was hearable ...

"I, I will be king  
And you, you will be queen  
Though nothing will drive them away  
We can beat them, just for one day  
We can be heroes, just for one day"

david bowie...that eccentric ,out of the place,time and reality man,managed to pierce another whole in will s heart.he embraced her tighter,and tighter...but she has not return in the same,or any other way...this song spoke to william,right now,right here like no other.this was their song.

"Though nothing, will keep us together"

as he was rocking them both,he tenderly whispered...

"I, I will be king  
And you, you will be queen  
Though nothing will drive them away  
We can be heroes, just for one day  
We can be us, just for one day..."

 

 

 

                                                                  

                                                                    

              

 


	5. I remember...

"so,tell me,do you remember ?-the doctor repeated himself.  
so did he?  
....after carrying his princes into the bedroom and carefully laying her on the bed,as if he could break her,william returned into the bathroom...why was here again ?the pool of blood was the fist thing that caught his sight...the red liquid on the bath tub ,doors...and the trace that led into the bedroom. he should fix this.he can redo,what has be done...it is so simple.he just needs to make the crimson turns to white again.so ,he turned up the sleeves on his stained shirt and decided to lose no more time.all shall be well again,when he...he reacted by sobbing and hiding his face behind hands.it was not comforting at all,but the tears stopped before forming...refusing to see what mirror had to show him..especially face covered with her blood,he rather kneeled ,just in case,and searched for the cleaning liquids in the cabinet bellow the sink.it didn't mattered what were they for...for floors,tiles...he took them all.soon the heavy smell of chemicals mixed together could only turn into an even worse headache that the one that would not divide from him,like a parasite..and continued their path into twisting his vision.there was a small creature on his shoulder grinning and clapping hands... it whispered something into his ear...and he  nodded...but forgot to what he was nodding and to what  was he agreeing.he only knew he had to wash all this..it has to be spotless,it has to be pure ....was he aware that he was erasing the evidence of her death?was he even in the state of mind to comprehend that she,indeed was gone?no!she was sleeping!and she would be angry if she sees this mess...  
"i ll make things right ..."-he was babbling..."clean,all clean..."  
\---------------------------------------------------------------  
when this creature separated itself from his imagination,another one set on his other shoulder.this being was serene and tearful.it slowly held onto his ear and whispered...  
"the only thing that has to be clear right now is your very mind, william..."  
the 46-year old wreck of man looked at his small companion,but he ,as well as the first one,was not a part of the real word,but a cruel game his subconscious was playing with him.

a perfect combination of screaming guilt,chilling sorrow,foggy memories,her tainted and farce like love ,but nevertheless,one of his thoughts have found a short-path to the recent and significant event.:  
a letter arrived that morning ...."test scores",his unfaithful beloved would say and run to meet the postmen,in case william would want to take over the mail himself,which,of course ,was not raising suspicion at all.not at all.however,he did let her think she was misguiding him...he already knew her little dirty secret,her disrespectful masquerade,her AFFAIR . he gritted his teeth...and swallowed his pride ...and said nothing,only watched her quickly close the doors ,without sharing any eye contact.

...if only the letter arrived the day earlier..all would be different...

he squeezed the blood and water from the sponge and held onto the the door frame until the room stopped spinning....only then he recalled where the couch is...a second hand not-so beige piece with the rose prints ..it was cheap and it looked cheap,but lydia was fond of it,and she was the one to pick it out.a soft ,yet sad smile spread upon his lips.this piece of garbage was beige once,but now it contained all kinds of memories.there...on the side were peter s finger prints forever to stay ,thanks to that waterproof marker...and lydia lost the stone from her ring in the crack .it was most likely still behind the mattresses.oh,and phillip always slept here, when he was tired of reading the stories about loch ness monsters and dinosaurs...  
and now,it was only he...he,who didn't learn to treasure what he had,when he had it.there was not a day that would pass by without him mentioning how much he hates it -both the style and measurements...he could not stretch his long legs ,and his back hurt.but now...his fingers traced the rough surface ..the letter with the test scores was right in front of him....the pregnancy test scores...and it was positive.  
\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
jack was restless the whole day,he drank and cried and called his family back home in Sidney . he told them how much he loved them and had to hang up,for his weeping only made them worry about him.he was a person unused to the loneliness or loss or death,and could not believe that either william or lydia would want to drown in hurt in that sad little apartment.what kind of a man would he be to leave them to think they have no support-he grabbed the phone again ...but,there was no answer...  
"c mmon will...please!"

after the fifth time ,jack wasted no time.he cared not what jacket was the first within his reach,he just had to get his ass there...there was this unsettling feeling wrapping around him like a serpent.driving trough the yellow lights and almost hitting that kid on a skates was not within his priority of worries.he stormed in and entered in the dark.all lights were off except for the small copy of a Tiffany lamp in the bedroom .wlliam and lydia were not seeping,as he original thought....the bed was stained with blood on her side and there was the empty bottle of sleeping pills on his side....  
\-------------------------------------------------------------------  
for a glimpse of a second william could see jack crying over theirs bodies and the very next moment he floated through the ceiling.he has not appeared on the upper floor,but he has stepped into the dark...dark...and nothing more.except ...it was not at all frightening or disturbing,quite the opposite: it was so blissful and fulfilling.it was a very peculiar felling,but at the same time ...he knew he has been here before.he was here before so many times.....also,he wished not to go back to that hurtful place called earth...something pierced through the darkness ...he turned towards it ,although he was not a " he" anymore but the one with everything.ah,there it was...the light of eternity...the light of oneness...he felt himself being sucked through the tunnel,and felt himself "smiling".but , then, another ,smaller wormhole has formed out of nothing ana a  stronger force directed him to this parallel path....

once out of it ,our anti-hero has found himself in a "room" made of pure light and light only...in shades and colors a human eyes has never seen,nor their wildest imagination could come up with...william was a small light ball himself,an ectoplasm ....his senses told that there is not danger or hate and that anything negative does not resign here,that he was safe.but ,unlike the first path ,a path with no turn,a path every soul wanted to go,here was present the energy of seriousness....this place was a court room for the deceased,where the higher energies would decide about ones next incarnation ,or the enclosure of the same ...or, the worst possible outcome...the limbo.the dimension of the shallow greyness had no future ...  
he, then he spotted another soul....her energy was strong,stubborner than his and so very familiar.it radiated with so much love directed towards him.it was lydia...they spoke nothing,but they flew to one another...suddenly a mighty voice spoke out and the room started glowing ever so strongly and rhythmically with the tone .

"william ...lydia...you have ended your existence in a cruel way...a way no man should.you committed a suicide...even so,it was your right,but ,alas your destiny is then certain ...those souls are only welcome  in the limbo."

of course ,the lovers were sad ,acknowledging that there is no way out,but still remain silent ,carefully listening.who are they to oppose the high judge?  
"however ...since you had so little happiness...we,the jury have decided to give you one more chance...and to do so ...you need to remember the crucial life ,which was preliminary for your misery...."

the light swirled a bit in the centre of the room creating a large screen .they watched as the movie of their lives started...

the salty smell of dessert sand...and the power of the river Nile were so familiar to the lovers...william saw himself standing by the sacred river that gave life to the citizens of the Egypt.it was a year 1350. something bc.,the ruleship of the king Akhenaten,the pharaoh of the 17th dynasty,known for bringing the monotheism into the polytheistic society...he,was murdered ,of course for taking the former religion from his people,but at this point...the country was in peace... and so was this fiery sunset...it was so different than the ones back in the gloomy London.

the reed bowed to the strong wind...strokes were pleasantly visible upon and above the river s surface...women cleaning clothes and singing traditional songs their mothers sang while working ...men catching fish...and he... being among the common crowd for the first time. william saw that his skin was darker ,and his hair shoulder length,and his eyes...in the contrast to it...were the shade of a jade...he was a skillful priest..the mystical science and the knowledge  healing of that time was his most priceless possession...until now...

there was a girl singing like a goddess...she was much younger than he was...then she smiled  ...her  make up was dramatic as the one lydia had...accenting  her deep green eyes...a true beauty...as her name was ...nefer...all he knew was that she is his and his only.

movie went fast forward...the scene was different...it was night and he was looking to the house where she lived as a slave to the nobleman.this man would often strike and beat her .she prayed every night to the god of the underworld ,Anubis to takes his breath.William,now Seth, could not wait any more,for he swore he would protect her by any means.and thuss they both concocted a plan to kill her master...and they did.all it took was a little snake poison....

they run from the Thebes in the middle of the night....and slept in the dessert...however they never woke up. the guards found them and killed them during their rest....

when the screen became blank ,the voice spoke again...

"you ,william ,had the money,knowledge,position, yet you have abandonment it all for her...she was a young,undisciplined and a slave .but she did love you ...however,by committing a crime such as murder,you left us with one choice...we had to bring death upon those who caused it...it is the law of the universe..."

then another movie was starting and both of the souls watched it feeling ...recognizing every moment of it,every thought they had then.  
Lydia s master was sitting upon the golden throne ...odin ,he was called.his hate both for him,now called loki and her,hel could not be missed .he has sent her away...in the dark...in the death itself...for...she was death of him...he has seperated them again.loki loved her so much it has affected his common judgement, for she now was his daughter...

another scene:he was holding their son and she was crying...he took her in his long arms and said he would never leave her again,no matter what...  
he was upon a rainbow...the baby,now a grown man fell of it...all this was happening beyond time ...for time did not exist here...the last scene was where hel killed herself by using the dark magic...  
the screen vanished...and turned into the whiteness...

and voice spoke for the final time ...

"in that life you have called us the norns...the fate makers...let us tell what is your mission in the present...you have still much to learn,you should be aware of that ...however,the past can be altered ...now it is all up to you ,william to choose,for the path of your wife ends here ."  
"i do not want to return down there...there is nothing left for me...i am alone...and more miserable than i ever was...please do not taker her away from me...please"  
"no!"-the judge was firm-"you are yet to discover that there are those who do care deeply of you."

and with that he was sucked backwards into the tunnel and into his body...what once was the darkness ,now was the light...  
"do you remember anything?"-the doctor asked.  
after a long pause ,..  
"everything...i remember everything..."


	6. Tainted Blood Lines

"are you sure you can be alone for a while,cousin?"  
when that big blond sap said cuisine ,william would hear something much warmer,closer something made out of hope and childish nativity ...something like brother....and by knowing jack,he indeed,has considered him to be one.

they were sitting in the car outside of william s building....who else would come and pick him up?they were,well,while william was forced to stay there trapped within this transparent window cells ,the logy man cherished every second of it.at least, he had his eyes on the Brit.william was up to something,he could sense that,and no matter how much jack would ponder over it...will would give him an unpleasant surprise.

so they sat there,with this suffocating atmosphere and one of them was getting pretty restless... namely , the murder,that shook this ,for the untrained eye ,supposedly friendly and peaceful street, occurred on the floor ,just above his apartment....someone has actually killed his obnoxious music-loving neighbor.oh,that was quite an unexpected ,now wasn't it?

and william couldn't care less,he just watched his thin hands and long fingers...useless...they were useless...he was useless ...he was not even successful in ending himself! now, that was low beyond any measure...he now,needs to for wait jack to  go away...or... he would permit himself one more cup of tea and write down the last letter.and that one should be fast to write..and short...starting with -dear jack and petula,for there was no one else who ...helped them and stud by them.no one.

"yes..."-his eyes were still on his cold hands and his voice was drained and grey.  
"yes i am .no need to worry,not any more."  
it was sunny and warm...he has not feel or see anything remotely close to the sun for a long long time.  
"also,jack...thank you."  
he never faced his him ,but stepped outside ,before jack could answer back.  
\------------------------------------------------------------------  
those darn pale hands were terribly shaking when he was about to turn the key ...  
.two women from the upper floors were walking down in his direction and discussing the mysterious murder-both of them thought themselves to b Mrs.Marple.

"have you heard Mildred..someone took his blood!"  
"what?i do not believe it!how can someone took ones blood?"

the other woman was in her own element,as if she has waited for this her all life-"you can never be sure with the technology these days...maybe they have some special vacuum for the blood?"

william would usually eye rolled, but he just turned his back on them.go away..go away...  
"oh,hallo Mr.Thompson!"-not even today, apparently.  
he only responded with tired look in overall.  
"i haven't seen you in a while.how is your young...your wife?and the boys?oh, have you heard what happened?!"

that woman knew very well who was cheating whom and who wore what,but she didn't heard of his tragedy.the gossips that were circulating within this 10 floors ,said that lydia got pregnant with another guy,so william took the kids to his mother for this few days and lydia moved in with her boyfriend.and now the neighbor only teased,adjusting her wide glasses to witness his reaction.

"i don't care you old hag! mind your own fucking business!"-his eyes were crazy and wide and nostrils flattering ,which made the women run like the wind.it was rare that someone was scared of him, they usually marked him as a weirdo,but now he felt that they should,and in some strange way he felt stronger,and calmer after saying what was on his mind ever since they moved in  here.

now came the hardest part-he had to enter ...into the abyss..into the place where is nothing and everything...no more toys on the floor or his sons eating chocolate pudding.no more delicious ,yet cold lunch that would wait for him on the table ...no more the look of his young wife yelling at them that they are making a mess,and there was no more of her autumn associated perfume...and the child that will never be born...it wasn't his, probably  anyway...but...he...yes..he would love the baby nevertheless...

drowning in his self pity...oh,no,wait,he has been then ,done that...and jack got,all-philosophical all of the sudden-saying that the god has a plan for him...and william didn't jest..he hid within himself and reflected upon it ..was that all just a dream,..the golden city above the clouds,the giant serpent...the pyramids and hot dessert sun...  
now when the lights were on...  
"you!"

  
his wife's lover was sitting on the couch and reading the book william received from an anonymous ,at the time when he knew not should he marry lydia .at that moment a part of his mind connected his memories and what he read in the book,he felt that this was a relevant moment ,but then the chain reaction went the other way ,and he concluded it to be some kind of a placebo effect.

"what are you doing here and how did u get in?!"-he was still not screaming,but could feel the anger rising.  
the doors were closed and they were on the 6th floor-there really was no way that this shameless bastard could invade his privacy ...then again...

the young man slowly raised his head and will had a chance to finally gaze at him properly.  
it was rather obvious why lydia fancied him so....he was very handsome...sadly.and ,although he was in his early 20s ,his eyes were deep and almost archaic, yet gentle and understanding,what only enhanced his ghost like energy,for he didn't feel natural at all...

"i am so sorry for what occurred."-he spoke in the voice covered with layers of deepness,and it took for william few seconds to process it.

"what,you are stealing now?!' you have exactly 5 seconds to get the hell out,or i am gonna call the police-they are outside..!"

"i know."-he said,as if he expeced just that and as if william got himself wrapped in some kind of a spider-net .it did felt of,but william wouldn't flinch-"get out!"

"forgive me,but i must speak with you first."

the long haired man rose from the couch making no sound at all,which was unusual,for the couch was always s squeaking..  
"that's it!"-will turned towards the doors and...there was his visitor ...standing in front of the door knob...he crossed the whole room in less than a second..  
"what...how ...?"-william turned again,for maybe he was really hallucinating.  
"i am here."-he calmly stated from the kitchen..  
"am i going completely mad..how do you do that?!"

"move so fast ,you mean?i assure you,that is nothing...now please...sit...i have made you some tea.you need to relax..rosehip with lemon?yes?."  
how did he knew..  
william moved slowly towards the chair and pulled it away from the table as much as he could ,eying this strange company of his .  
the guy smiled -exposing his unnaturally white teeth and sharp fangs.."it is not poisoned if that is what you think."

will pushed the cup anyway :"explain!"

one could not think that this biker could resemble a shy child,but he nervously bit his lover lip and looked to the side,also automatically tucking the hair behind his...pointy ears...  
will,crossed his arms..my ...what were the kids doing to themselves today-was he some kind of a star trek fan, or lotr?and yet he didn't seemed stupid,not by far,and now...he reminded him of phillip or peter when he would yell at them for something.all ashamed and not knowing what to do.  
"um..i wanted to speak to you,for so long,and now..i do not know where to start,really."  
strange...how could he compare this fucker to his children?!  
"lydia?"

"um,i have met her during this semester,i applied for an assistant position and she approached me one day and asked for a cigarette."  
the older man had his head bobbing,as if he was approving something,but his face were filled with hate.  
"did she...did she tell you that she was pregnant?"  
the younger man averted his eyes.."she told us that she might have been..us...i meant friends.few of us knew.yes."  
"a-ha...was...was it yours?"

"what ?the child?!no!how could you think that?!she was my...was like my sister..i would never..!"  
"i saw you kissing her!"

"yes,upon the cheek or forehead perhaps..but we cared for each other as siblings would.please ,i do not lie!you have to trust me!"

not in a million years would willliam predict this scenario...he guessed that this guy wanted to mock him and tell him that lydia was with him only to get away from her parents,but then he just got too boring and ...well ,she has found fun somewhere else..but, no...this thing in front of him was an-insecure little kid...

also..if he he spoke the truth then it means that lydia..was faithful and he hit her for nothing,the boys died...for nothing...she died for nothing...and he stayed ,so that he may see his errors..  
for there was the truth and only truth in the green eyes of this guy and will s heart got pierced with an invisible arrow ...he took a hold on his chest and cried out...  
he was absolutely shocked when he was embraced and ,even worse,when the embrace felt like being a father again.  
and the pain ceased....  
and being this close, he saw something on that elvish like face -he saw..himself when he was 20 years younger,and it made him took few stapes back...

"who are you...really..and why are you so fast?"  
the other took the deepest possible breath before meeting their eyes.both had the same shade of green...just as lydia,or peter or phillip...a circumstance ,a jesting of  a destiny?  
"i am not a human"-he said.and those words had a haunting weight to them.

"my mother was from an alfheim...she was an elf and my father.."-he send some strange soothing vibrations too will,"my father was a jotun...although, he looked like a human.this is why i have unusual appearance,and wear my hair long.fortunately ,i do get well along with those of the  certain subcultures and,for the first time ,after so many centuries...i am not being mocked,or attacked,but...strangely enough,appreciated for being different."

when a person sees an alien ,they react in more than one way...william was feeling like he shall be abducted by one...he was not breathing and the tears were steaming down his sunken cheeks...like he discovered the greatest mister of all...

"those like me were called monsters...i, myself am most similar to those vampires...hah ha.what a wrong perception...but there are more hybrids out there ..they all came to earth 1000 years ago.now ,they are known as fairies,elven,were-wolfs..and others...my half brother was a werewolf,my mother was a banshee..but she was harmless..."

now he lowered his head and starred at his hands...just like will would do.

"she was murdered by the peasants and i had to leave the country...they ...heh...they stabbed me few times and burned my flesh,so i couldn't say i was welcome there."  
to prove his agony,he slowly unbuttoned his shirt and left it on the chair.then pulled up his hair and moved towards the stronger light...so many wounds...scars...in the shapes of the crosses...holes...there were holes his chest...and his back looked healed after the part of it really was being burned...

then he dressed gain...  
"i understand you...better than i ever thought i would...i also loved...it was...hm...back in the early 20th century...can t remember exactly...despite what the movies tell you...but, i do recall her curly red hair...she was an Irish and i was madly in love with her...she was like a spicy strawberry-sweet ,yet hot...she was tempered.."

he smiled,but had his eyes upon will the howle time.and william listened...he was feeling all that the vampire was feeling...and he was sorry he was not there for the young man...

"she did not know what i was...thuss,we were engaged,but she died of TBC...and i...turned to the solitude..i have been through a thousand jobs,and 1000 colleges,trying to learn about the world....my knowledge is vast,and still i was empty...alone...ugly...i tried to do what you did...but the wounds healed themselves...so i walked..and i walked...and saw the changes in the world..new companies...loud music,and lights...the expansion and uranbanism...liberalism ...and i wondered ..with all that...how can they...all still be so...stupid?"

wiliam smiled to that..as if their talk was the most natural thing in the world...and the vampire smiled warmly...

"um, where was i ...yes...people will never change...they try to change the world..but ,they love to hate each other...hm...so ...i walked one day and then i felt my heart sing...and i saw the lights in this small house back upon the east side...the boy came to this cruel world...i have waited for a member of my family to be reborn for a millennia...and now...there he was..my father..."  
he offered wlll the cigarette and the older man took it nervously...  
"i swore i would protect him,but...fortune was not on my side..i destroyed what i planned for so long..,"  
"so...why are you here...are you going to kill me?"-willliam asked,feeling no fear.  
"i already ate..." he gestured to the ceiling grinning.  
"what? you killed...?"  
"worry not father,he died from an overdose.one simply does not listen to that crap all day without taking something on the side... besides,no one shall know,anyway..."  
"how did you call me?"  
their eyes met again...  
"father..."


	7. When One Doors Closes, Another Opens

            the warm water that caressed his face and cleansed him from the distresses of past days , was proved to be the best recipe for waking up.that and  someone you care for.when he is taking a shower, william is usually imagining himself to be under the waterfall in another place and time .the place where the night consist of the colors melting from deep purple to blue black and silver.and the two moons,who were responsible for that ocean-above effect,would stand each on one side of the sky,and not as enemies but brothers.he often had this lucid, not only imagination but,he was afraid to call them the visions.yet, they were just that.he was different ,from the day one.not only in his circle of acquittance,but ,perhaps within this whole non-accepting planet.he tried to convince himself that,there must be at least one soul out there, such as he was.misplaced ,feeling that he or she is here for a greater reason,a mission perhaps,but unfortunately there was no one to guide him/her.all others would take what was given to them,without asking any questions or seeking any answers.not trying to develop from within themselves outwardly.no,the facade was the only thing that mattered.that and stepping on one another.

the only person thuss far, who understood him was lydia.as if she saw beyond the borders of this dimensions and wanted to join him on the path to the unknown.problem was...Lydia was hardheaded...she knew exactly what she is,and disliked it and knew what she is not,but could not obtained it.he analyzed that moment when he found her in the sea of red ,when she left him alone.over and over again,he would go back ...she rarely thought twice before acting.she had to do  so much in such a short amount of time?why?as if she knew that she has no time...

 

the water started to cool off,so he ended his morning session and stepped outside to dry himself.he changed the floor tiles not long ago ...it was unbearable to stare at those pearl ones...not after...

there was the smell of fried eggs that broke through the steam and defeated the scent of the aftershave,making William snap back into the present.  
Lucien...,William almost forgot why is he present in the present and not just a faint ghost of the past. this few weeks were... to put it lightly...unrealistic...not only has he found out that he has a son,but he has discovered that his intuition was correct,and at least partially he could proudly announce that he was not mad.partially.

for,that there are lands,and creatures hidden from the sight of a man,but co-exiting with him nevertheless...and to learn that he was once one of them...it was still far from the complete acceptance from his side,but he could draw a line and say...yes,i know what i am ,and where i belong...but there was still the question of why i am here now,what is my purpose?

"a glorious one! i shall tell you one day."-his son jested.despite how much the teacher tried to trick him into giving him answers right away,the young man would simply shut himself ,or change the subject.he was stalling...or stealing time for some reason.  
"i wanted this for so long.to speak to my parents ,to look into their eyes ,and now ...now when i finally have this..i ...i need more time."

"more time?for what son?"  
Lucien would turn sideways ,letting his dark hair cover his face.he appeared to feel lonesome and... abandoned.

"you asked about your purpose...father,and when the time is right ,you will know.i give you my word on this."  
and that would stay at that.Lucien wanted William by his side as much as possible.he was truly acting like a child..listening more than carefully to every word his dad ( a term william persuaded him to use) would spoke ,and would run to the store and took the liberty to do all the chores to make it easy for his old man.especially when he is so vulnerable .

it was time for the former god and king to start working again.it was painfully difficult,but there is a small escape in busyness,and idle hands are the devils tools...besides,Lucien s assistant salary was not enough to pay  thebills.

"fathe..dad..it is finished!"  
"alright,i am done.will be there in minute!"

Lucien was smiling all the way...preparing table as if he was expecting a queen herself as a guest.he was close to his own kin and he desperately tried not to act overly sensitive about it...but damn it! besides,his mother was a being of emotions,and he took after her.

and his own past was quite a dream-come-true.after his not-grandmother died he had to,had to leave their secret home within the forest.frigga s magic dissipated and the peasants started acknowledging his presence more and more.so ,the boy of the midgardian equivalent of 16 years had to run in the middle of the night into the unknown.he took only one bag and stuffed it with his clothes and few more "items" and lose himself ,being guided only by the lights of the stars.

with the non-stop walking ,all through the night, he managed to travel about15kms .there were all kinds of beasts stalking him and maybe some murderers ,so the caution was always primary.he ignored the growls of his stomach,but the hunger prevailed and he ate some of the vibrant colored mushrooms ,that made him retch few hours later. this was his first time in this strange lands where all was so different,including flora and fauna.he had to gradually learn what to eat,and he learned it the hard way.only blood and a very limited number of plants.after a month of never-ending roads and different dialects,he found himself in another country.there he started from nothing,as an apprentice to the local shoe maker.which meant ...he had to walk to the distant farm,and bargain upon price of the cow and pig skin,risking to get killed by the framer or anyone bigger than him,and then return the smelly rotten products to his master.

another step was to clean the skin from fat and veins and use some kind of herbs to neutralize the smell...that took for days. lucien had to also clean floors ,let this man beat him with a stick and be grateful for the roof over his head.one day he had more than enough:when his master raised his hand again, the boy instructively jumped on his neck ,with the strength he held hidden even from himself and sucked the blood from his master s veins.that was his first kill,and he refused to believe what he had just done...oh,no..he was not murderer...he was acting in self-defense and now,he had to dissapear again..

.  
in the beginning of the 18th century, he was graduating from his fifth university - the royal academy of Paris ,he loved philosophy and was proud of himself for achieving so much despite his appearance and poor starts .ironically , he even got himself a benefactor,who took him in as if he was his on own son.the noblemen ,back-days appreciated the young intellectuals and the combination of a quick mind and carefully chosen words was worthy as a gold itself.by stepping into the higher society,he stepped also in to the world of decadence,the night life his new friends practiced as the daily /nightly routine...that was when he first got to know the pleasures a woman s body could provide,but it didn't took him long to see that he was not like them,and would never be.

frigga always taught him to treat women with respect,and he was leaving one after another... he also disliked alcohol,yet he forced himself to drink it,although,his body would reject it...he played cards,got lazy,aggressive even ...and has done this foul things only to get accepted by those who are the unworthy ones...finally he said no,no more...and he left.

it was the end of 19th century when he ,as a young doctor took the privilege on one humid night and visit the dangerous parts of London...he was in a need of the crimson liquid...he would not kill..no...only take a bit...he wore fine black suit and a cylinder hat and was ,seemly an easy prey for those thieves who s wicked eyes followed his every step.he was not afraid though...even in this hour the streets were breathing fully.there were carriages ,and within them , sinister rich men searching for the tonight's ladies of the night,there were drunk man shouting and fighting on the every corner...poor children sleeping on the ground,covered only by some cloth.

  
so much for the greatness of humanity.  
a scream of a woman in the near by alley caught his attention...some man was forcing himself upon her,and lucien would not have it.before the woman could get herself together ,lokison had his share of a meal...there was blood dripping from his mouth and heart besting fast from the adrenaline,but he hid it well.  
"Are you alright Miss?"  
"oh,i guess so..thank you kind sir..."

  
after he covered her with his rope,the stepped into the faint street light...she was 15 cm shorter than he,had round youthful face,long,curly read hair and lovely set of freckles...she was not of those women..or like them,at least.in fact , it was her first time and she was,of course afraid ...many unfortunate girls sold their bodies ,after loosing jobs in the factories,...Mary was from Cork,and came here in a search of a better life..he took her in,that very night.he asked for nothing,but in return she gave him everything and then in the year 1902..she died...

"i loved once,...but i loved..."-and after that he refused to love again...

he went to that part of t he city,the ugly part ,practically waving his wallet ...and as the lions attack in the groups ,so do the thieves,,..when he woke up,lying on the filth and dirt ,he was not dead ,as he hoped to be...he will never see his wallet,nor his coat or watch...he was  also stabbed about ten times...in the chest,back and stomach...but the cuts were healing...  
frigga once said..."never give up...you know what i told you...the past can be replaced by the new,better one.you must be patient,my boy.,"

and he was,he hated this slow passing of the time and tried to occupy himself-in everything that would caught his eye...he became a news-reporter,then as a violin player, he traveled to exotic countries such as India and Egypt...where he felt the energy close to his heart...someone dear to him was here,and he took it as a sign...so he waited for another 50 years,until he found what,or who he was looking for...  
"dad!"  
.................................................................  
jack announced his visit that day.and all had to be perfect.William held lucien as a secret ...and could not wait to see the look on jacks face when sees him.it was agreed that they shall not mention anything esoteric or occult to the Australian,for it was far beyond his mind s acceptance.

the sound of iron being dragged on the asphalt was the sign that the fiesta was being parked.the transformation in Will s voice was freakishly unnerving ,taking the words out of jack s mouth...one day the thin man was a walking dead,and another ,there he was calling him, to say that he is more than well.

"William,have you taken any drugs?"-  
"hahaha!no.the next time you are in  town,you will understand".  
and now ,he was on the very edgeto explode...what has happened?

Barbra Abbot and Mildred House were the know-it-all guardians of this building.no one could pass or go unnoticed.when that horrible Mr. Thompson yelled at them,Barbara put him on his black list.despite being almost 70, she rushed down the stairs and feigned her surprise when the tall,strong Aussie entered

"jack!oh my!visiting so soon.how are you?"

he ,respected the old ladies,as much as he had everyone and believed their smiles to be true...Mrs. Abbot would always greeted him warmly and she was such a nice person.she gave him cookies once.they were from the store,but they were cookies.the intention matters,right?

"hello Mrs. Abbot.how are you?is that hip of yours any better ?"  
"uh"-she remember herself and moaned"oh ,my darling boy,not so much,i just had another surgery.oh!"

"do you need some help?here let me.."  
"oh, you are so kind,but,no, i am fine.you have arrived to see your cousin,?

now that was truly a discovery...

"yes. i heard that he is feeling better.."

"ooooooo,i would say so... regarding..hm..."  
"regrading what? Mrs Abbot?"  
"your cousin,Mrs Thompson is seeing someone!in fact, that person has moved in !mhm!"  
jack made a soundless wow  with his mouth and scratched his beard..

"will has someone?huh?um who?1  
"a boy.a student.probably one of his former ones."

and the evil poured trough her skin,and she could not contain her thrill.  
"william is not gay,and he is still mourning  his family!"  
"you will see for yourself."


	8. Family Reunion

all those false accusations falling on the back of William ,was something even Jack was accustomed to.ok, he,himself had some laugh about his lanky,ever so quiet cousin when they were kids,but he thought that Will would recognize that as good hearted joke and joined him and his friends .how could sharing a positiveness,be a negative thing?well too much of anything is simply too much.William would only take this to his heart and his self esteem would drastically drop.again.one could practically hear something bumping as it crashes down the stairs.  
many years would turn into the dust, before jack would understand his misbehavior.but, he had good intentions,and all his friends would say something horrible about someone and that person would return in the same manner.little William decided,however,that it is the best to stay in the safety of his aunt s house and watch TV.

but what Mrs. Abott just said,placed a great worry in jack heart.there were things that William would keep away from him.sometimes extremely relative things.like, when he started his relationship with a minor,when he got fired,when Lydia got pregnant,when he decided to try to commit suicide...but ,luckily failed in the attempt...shit.what if Will secretly was gay,or at least, a bisexual...and now... dating another student...shit,Will! maybe all of this was an escape to his inner world,whichever...or...whatever that may be.those that speak little,usually think too much,and maybe he was having an identity crisis of some sort.there is the only one way to find out what s really going on.

there was a ring,and then a loud knocking,and then that ringing again.  
their guest has arrived earlier...a half an hour earlier .jack s trade mark was his lack of patience.and a large fist.  
"can you answer that?"-will yelled from the bathroom,steam exiting from the half opened doors,rising the temperature of the hallway.

"alright!"-replied his son,wiping hand into a dishcloth.here goes nothing,he breathed out...he saw his uncle from a far, few times..and he could only tell that he was indeed a charismatic persona,but also mostly a generous man.and if there is any hope out there,he would not see this newcomer as an importer in Will s life.  
the doors slowly exposed one man to another.

"oh,shittttttttt...oh...waaaaaaaaaaaa?!what is the meaning of this!?"  
yet another unnecessary event in the angstiness of the Thompsons...the very sight of Lydia s little boyfriend and his cousin exiting from the shower,with nothing on but his dark pants and slippers...was a major trigger.as if he was controlling himself for too,too long ,jack,abruptly snapped and entwined his thick fingers around the boy s neck.

"you went too far now,mate!"  
also the sound of the doors slamming behind him,made Mrs Abott sight in dissatisfaction of not being able to actually see what was to be.oh,well jack was loud enough.the whole building would be entertained,regardless.

"jack,what are you doing!let him go!"-will tried to detach at least one of his arms ,but jack would not budge.  
"why should i,are you nuts will?he was with Lydia and he..he is with you..is that what this is,ha?!"  
"no!"

jack eyes went wide-"are you gay will?"

before any other question or answers could be formed ,lucein freed himself and now had jack within his power.their roles were switched and he held the high-school football coach by his neck and with his feet few inches above the floor.

the raven haired descendant of the jotuns looked up, deep,deeper into those blue eyes as his own became red.after a minute or so of mutual starring,jack was again on his feet.

"what...what did you do to him?"  
"i ..in some way i have reorganized his memory.he is to forget that i was the one he saw with darling Lydia,but ..he is to believe from now on, that this is our first encounter."

"he looks like he is in coma!"

true,jack had his mouth open wide and he resembled like a catfish .  
" he ll snap out of it in a minute or so ,do not fret..i have done this only too many times,father ."  
"you mean, when you..."  
"when i was saving myself...."

..or ate.

"why haven't you told me you have a son,cousin..that's like...a big thing,you know?"  
jack had this admiring ability to form completely articulate words while stuffing food in his mouth.in this case, fried eggs,ham,cheese,and tomato.  
"i for one thing would want to know,man."

and this two, of course had a backup story...a simple one ,which would not attract to much suspicions.

"well",the teacher sipped his tea...,"it seems that my short affair from more than 20 yrs ago resulted with this bright young man here."

he placed a hand upon Lucien s shoulder and ,without realizing both of them shared an intimate moment of tender feelings that were visible only in their eyes.

"his mother married her fiancee and wished not to contact me,but before she died... in a ...car accident last year,she did tell Lucien about me.so he moved into town and managed to find me....and i could not be more grateful for that."

both father and son were pretty tense while waiting for the third person s reaction,and jack was only nodding and chewing.but then he,did something so typical for jack, and that golden smile of his has shined throughout the small kitchen.

"that is a great!.oh,.. i didn't mean like that,Lucien,i am so sorry about your mom.but,you know... i am happy,for will here...he really needed this.he was..after losing his boys and Lydia...he was not himself..."

now the smile was gone,and Lucien could envision a small dark cloud over the kitchen.there is only rain missing now.

"thank you .i know,and i need him as well,more than you can imagine."  
jack smiled again ,but sadly.

"you two do look alike.with the hair and eyes.maybe i should call you William Jr?"

"oh,please don't,they already called me many things,but i would like to stick to my real name."

"ok,that's fair enough.but i gotta ask you this..i don't wanna offend anyone ,but this is a reasonable question.um... have you took the blood tests?"

William and Lucien exchanged looks...the test would prove nothing ,so will did the only thing he could do.he lied.and jack believed.  
they spent few hours in the family-like atmosphere.only them guys...Lucien,although an introverted person,enjoyed ,and didnt let his future worries distract him now.moments like this were only to rare.when jack was leaving he felt those clouds appearing again.

"there is one more thing"-the Australian said before exiting-"are you a "lord of the rings" fan or a "star trek" fan?"  
the ears of course...

"lord of the rings"-he smiled and his fangs denied him,but jack would not know the difference,now would he?  
William embraced his son from behind and leaned himself on his back .the pressure of this day made him weary and he has not slept at all.his son was literally now his support.  
"that went well!"  
"um, father...may i ask of you one thing?"  
""you can ask me anything .you know that."  
Lucien had his head bowed and was again looking at his hands,as if he was to ask for something balsphemic or immoral.  
" i ..i would like to meet Christine.i wish to meet her ,as well."  
"my ex wife?um...alright,but what for?"  
"she was my mother."-it was almost a whisper,but William heard it.  
\-------------------------------------------  
the word that William has a son ,who also helped him overcome his loss ,crisis and pain, made Christine relax a bit.she was constantly worried about him.those who knew Will,knew that he was a good man,but a depressive one .he was never at ease,at rest,he was a horrible self-critic,and that transferred onto her.she could not deal with his darkness,so she left him for someone who ,despite their differences was hers , they would call it- her true love.a soulmate.Derek,was a gynecologist,..her gynecologist...and huh,there was not much to say about that .  
William accused her to be a gold-digging slut and started drinking and smoking,as a result of their constant argues ,slamming doors and being short in incomes.and a gynecologist should have decent salary,right?but she left for other reasons....she did.

when the spoke again ,few years later , was when he got Phillip and peter.Christine does love kids...so much she worked in the kinder garden.but,unfortunately ,still could not have one of her own,so she compensated with playing with other people s children.it will happen one day,it must..or she will search for an alternative ways..maybe even an adoption.  
william never saw Lucien to be so nervous.he could not decide which (black) shirt to wear,what jeans,what to cook(he only knew that Christine was a vegetarian and loved animals),how to act around her,..  
the last time he spoke to his mother was centuries ago.her mind was ill and she was even scarring him sometimes.indeed,as many alfheimers,she spoke to the trees and smaller woodland creatures ,but avoided both him and frigga.and during night she would seek her late lover and approached the midgardian villages,for there she saw light and life.it was hard to keep her away,and that would result with her doom.her sad story ended when she was caught,proclaimed an evil death-bringing fairy and was stoned to the death.lucien saw this and frigga held him,even when he bit her in the attempt to run over there.

he,himself had lost the ability to speak for few years.and in his rage,he would steal from men and scared their women and children.  
but now,to see her,in the new light was beyond words.he wanted to represent himself in the best way he could.will she like him or...dislike him..will she..will she recognized him?  
a reassuring hand was on his shoulder again,followed by a silky voice of his other parent-"i see no reason for her not to like you Lucien.trust ,she will adore you."  
"i do hope so."  
\------------------------------------------------------  
despite not having long golden hair and despite the fact that she was much shorter now,Valera,now as Christine was the most beautiful creature Lucien has ever seen.although she was a typical girl next door and had that soft smile which was never leaving her face(a smile her wore also),to him she was a model in one of the Rembrandt s portraits.

the hug she gave him,at the doorstep spoke more than a 1000 words,and he wanted to melt there and then.the perfume she wore reminded him of roses at dawn- so fresh ,graceful.,accepting...  
the whole time she was here he tried his best not to cry...all he wanted is to tell her how much he loves her,and wanted nothing more than to hear her say the same.but that did not come.she accepted him from the start,but that connection,the Mother-child bond was ...missing...  
"why haven't you tell me that Lucien is such a handsome young man,William?and so smart?he is graduating from the medical college!that is so amazing.there is the future ahead of you,you know."  
Lucien spoke so very little.her smile upon his face ,that part of her ,he wore with pride ,was the most he could mange to grant her now ,for this whole merry occasion was ,not truly merry.she was here as a friend,not as his mother.  
"you are so well mannered.i am so deeply sorry about your family.they would be so proud of you.i am sure of that".  
and that broke him.  
"if there is any thing i can do,just call me.William is going to give you my number,ok?"  
Lucien let the black veil of his hair hide his treas ..."thank you.you are so very kind,Christine."  
she saw his sorrow and interpreted it wrongly ,but thought that her universal sharing of empathy would help this poor young men and give him strength to carry on with his life.so she provided him with yet another embrace before departing.  
"everything will be ok,sweety."  
...................................................  
when her car,athe Volkswagen golf,a car far more expensive then the ones William remembered her to drive,dissapeared behind the corner,Lucien run to the bathroom and closed himself in.sinking to the floor ,and hiding his face in hands,and also behind the layers of his long hair... he,finally let the tears have their freedom.

William didnt bothered him.he could fully understand why was he so upset.Christine was a stranger,and Lucien needed a mother.  
for now,his comfort is all he can give to his miserable son.  
to many ,it would be almost perverse to see a 40 year old embracing the 20 year old man and slowly rocking them both,but even if some1somone did saw them, they would not care at least.  
Lucien was the first one to release the other ,and pushed himself away.  
while wiping his tear, he spoke,and his voice become steady as ever-"i promised you that if i see my mother , i shall tell you what is your purpose..."  
this was a huge deal,then.Lucien avoided this ,and now that day has come.but unsure what to say ,William let his son to continue.  
the other one picked the cue.  
"morrow we will visit your friend petula.  
"petula?you speak of her,as if you know her."  
"oh,but i do.she was my grandmother."

\-----------------------------------------

 

 

[Loki and Hel - a thousand years   ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nNlJLHT8EU)

 

 [All the videos](https://www.youtube.com/user/pritispuki/videos)

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for valera/christine i am using isabel lucas,if any1 is interested.also wellsee wanted a video based upon loki/hel and their reincarnations.and with the sting s song:a thousand years in the background.  
> that little 3-minute nightmare is here-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nNlJLHT8EU  
> i am so sorry.it could not have been any better.the pc is 10yrs old,movie makers dont work-that's right plural,one cant do all this,by himself.before watching,please read the description under the video.thank u for reading this still.


	9. Lemon Pie and Stones

they set next to each other and no words were spoken between them during the drive to another city.the bus was crowded, as it usually was in this time of the day.all those people returning from work or kids going home after school.there were those who used the public transportation as a hotel .literally.does the term "get a room"ring a bell?others were sleeping ,as they were unaware of the danger .at one point they will find out that some of their things are missing.few high school boys starred at Loki and Lucien.

they appeared to them as a drug dealer and his regular costumer.the question was,who was who?judging by will s tired looks,he could be a cliche-ic working guy who needs to escape from his every-day troubles,and the younger guy seemed to have a cure for all his problems.since it was not normal to see the dealer and the buyer traveling together,it could only mean one thing.the business guy is in big big trouble.maybe he didn't payfor the "stuff".oops!  
the bond they shared seemed to be rather obvious to the other group of teens.one yelled "fags!" and risked to see what will happen.william s face was red and he was clenching fists,yet Lucien paid no attention.none what-so-ever.however,they arrived at their desired destination ,let us say,without being truly disturbed.  
\------------------------------------------------------------  
when petula opened the doors it was clear that she has made an effort to prepare something for them,even though ,they specifically told her that they are not coming to eat,but to discuss something very relevant.but ,she cooked anyway.every time william would visit, she would offer him the house specialty of the day .and today it was that famous lemon meringue pie that was seductively spreading it s juicy aroma.lemon ,vanilla and... well,she kept her secrets.her cooking,baking,all kinds of kitchen secrets.  
the pumpkin soup was still on the stove ,but the fried chicken and mash potatoes have already taken the center of the table.

"you boys are late!"-was all she said and hurried them inside.as always she was smiling ,radiating both with gladness and ancient wisdom combined with the enthusiastic expectation of what this day may bring.  
william was stiff when he greeted her,for he felt fore-mostly betrayed by her.despite of their friendship that lasted for years ,she had not,not even oven once reconsidered to inform him that she knows about his son.that she knows who he and what he is.and that he exists!  
he had barely touched the soup ,and his lack of merriness was almost tactile.

"how long do you know each other?"-there was a bitterness and an accusation in his voice and it was directed to her.  
the space between them could be cut with scissors,but she melted that heaviness with another of her wide genuine smiles.

"please do not resent me for this,will.Lucien wanted be the one to tell you .besides, would you believe me ?you would think that i was completely crazy."  
will coughed,not cause he needed to but,because he was feeling put down to his place.

"if i have told you that you have a 1000 year old son,and that you were a king,would you believe me?"  
and ,she.was.right...again.

"um,yes,i suppose i can not argue about that petula."

"you simply had to see it for yourself.Lucien can be quite convincing when he wants to." .  
Lucien smiled mischievously to that.

 "i ,for once,was shocked when he rang on my doors and said that he is your son.although the resemblance was striking.it was not long after,you asked me about your relationship with Lydia."

will s head was now on his hands.he was devastated all of the sudden:"so you have been hiding this for years.do you know how different everything would be if you have just ..."

"i am so sorry for your loss .there are no words to describe how much.but there is a  way...some things can change."

then she smiled again and her eyes were on lucien:"the first time i saw him,i thought that he was a burglar,but then he disappeared...and re-appeared in my living room in a matter of a second....also he brought the stones..."

"yes, he can be fast,even , when he is not suppose to."-william was all serious,yet Lucien cynically grinned to that.

"so much for that vase...wait, stones?what stones?is that an euphemism for something.maybe i should not be hearing any of this ,especially if it is illegal. have you robbed the jewelry store, or something?"  
the others two heartly laughed...  
"oh, for goodness sake,william! honestly,you are panicking way too much.Lucien,would you be so kind and tell him everything while i clean up the dishes?"  
"everything?"-the boy raised his brow.

"yes,everything and ill join you,after i make the tea."

while petula stayed at the kitchen,father and son went to the living room.the furniture were replicas of the ones back in the Victorian era .the lace table cloths ,the large soft couch ,in which, one could easily drift into sleep without realizing it.rich plants and white flowers dominated the space,bringing certain life into it.the pastel blue wall was covered with the mystical theme pictures...such as the one showing witches of Salem,by unknown dutch author of the 17. th century,then there were the pictures of fairies,angles,..also the scent of lavender and mint was to be blamed for them feeling outdoors,and not on the n-th floor.fortunetellers..,william thought.

so...he rubbed his palms together ,and searched for Lucien s emeralds...  
Lucien leaned deeper in the coziness that couch provided and heavily breathed out...

"alright,i really need to start. so...um...a year before Frigga died,she had told me that she had found a spell that can make a significant difference in the lives of many people.generations of them,even."  
"ok..."-said will and encouraged the young man to continue.

"the spell transfers ones soul from the present body into another body,through the place and time.but it is not done randomly,for,you see,father,the person can travel only into the body of ones previous incarnations.and to do so,that person has to be a very skillful mag or a witch."

he stopped and gave will a very meaningful look.  
"are you refereeing to Loki?"  
"yes"-he nodded"..."and you."  
"i beg your pardon?are you telling me that i could travel through time backwards and...be like Loki again?"  
Lucien jumped and moved froward-"yes!but not only like Loki...as Loki !do you not see..if you go trough time...you could make decisions opposite to the ones my biological father made,and thus change the history as we know it.you could save the Asgard from falling,you could stop the invasion of the dark elves and by doing it all..you could also save Lydia,and my brothers..and my mother."

petula just brought the herbal tea,and will took a quick sip of it.it did wonders for his new headache.he could sense what Lucien was saying,but he simply denied it...no bloody chance!

"um,well...that would be something to reconsider, if it would be possible,but...it is not,so.."  
"you weren't listening carefully!"-petula scolded him.  
"Lucien said that even you can make the difference,Mr-highschool-teacher."  
"you...you two are joking,right?"  
"no,"-she said and went to her mahogany locker .on the top , was a large jewellery box.one of those inspired by the fairy realm.  
"only the true sorcerers could wield such a spell...and with the little help of these."  
when she opened it ,and gave it to the melancholic guest of hers,william could not,but to be  strangely intrigued with   the strong energy of what was in there.  
"the infinity stones-".she said.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry,i am not feeling ok,so this chapter is mostly-la-DI-da.anyway i wanna know what do you think -at what time ,when william was back in asgard as loki should he go to and with what consequences?


	10. The Relativity Of It All....

"no! that's out of the question!"-William was already at the doors and taking his coat from the hanger.  
"do you two realize how dangerous this can be?! well?!what if i mess something up ?things are meant to be the way they are ...and what should i change...what if i cause the death of someone-'what if i kill someone?!mind you,have you seen "back to the future?"! or heard or Einstein?he had a lovely theory about screwing with time!"

petula run to him ,trying to persuade him to stay a bit longer-"will, calm down.we are aware of the possible consequences...that Lucien maybe wont be born ,or that you could make the wrong decisions,but...you must try ...for the sake of us all."

"Jesus Frigga..i mean Petula..."-he rubbed his face ,squinting his tired read eyes.  
"oh, i am already getting confused! see what you are doing to me!?you want me to be responsible for,not only my existence ...both past and present ,but also of so many...millions,and their wives and children,...and their children s children! no! i put my foot down on this!"  
the doors slammed...

Lucien and his non-grandmother exchanged looks.

"this went well.better than i had hoped it would." he said,crossing his arms on his chest.  
and she added-"um..i think that he needs a little more urging ,don't you think , darling?"  
"don't worry,i shall bother him the trough the  full 24 /7,until he agrees".

a month later...

"fine! i ll do it! now open the bloody doors!"-Lucien had had his methods-like closing his father,...um,randomly in the every room possible and made William listen to him ,as he preaches of the wonderful new possibilities and the new world ...poor William was only too drained to continue like this.how could he fight with the young, strong and endlessly stubborn kid?  
\-------------------------------------------------  
firstly, they went trough the paths that William could take -for instance, Loki never marries hel,or has children with her...he only marries Valera and has Lucien,or...he never marries Valera at all and his life goes in a completely alternative direction,which would be only a fair thing to do ,since Valera was in love with,as will called him -"that gyno-bastard".

also,and most importantly-he should prevent the Ragnarok from occurring...oh,yes that will be the easiest thing to do...to oppose the mighty ruler of the most advanced dimension-to oppose Odin himself.and by doing that,he has to skip the whole "battle of the 7 armies"! why was he feeling like Mr. Bean right now?then again,even Rowan Atkinson was glorious now and then...he and his mute teddy bear toy... Mr.teddy...was it?

um,quite,an under-payed, highly sensible fallen teacher, who doesn't speaks asgardian, or ,who never used magic...like ,real magic...and not just telekinesis or telepathy ,although he had felt strange mental and emotional connection with Lydia and his sons,but besides all that might, he was...a complete and utter-loser.

Lucien did not care if he was born or not,for he was absolutely and truly positive that everything would end up well...also that this could have a major impact on the humans.if Asgard does not fall..the realm of the gold could help the midgradians to develop and improve their technology ,art...  
"imagine the modern world,father!"-even he could not  recall when he was so passionate about something like this.but ,for centuries now,it was his mission-to heal the world...and his family.and to erase the evil,cruel past.  
if he fades away,that would not matter.he was a collateral victim then,...no he shall be proud to go into Valhalla as a deserving soul.

oh,Lucien and his incurable desire to help everyone...and his douce smile...thought William and moved his gaze onto petula and...,he,reluctantly had to admit that,she shared the same facial expression.

petula also had her reasons for participating in this historic moment...her life was not a picture perfect one  either..her ex husband abused her for years .they have met back in the 70s.she was one of those hippie left overs and he was a gentleman in a suit.the opposites attract ,they say... he traded with stocks,none-the-less .she wanted to save the world,and he to own it.after the sweet begging when the two of them supported each other ,the ugly reality bit petula.and it bit her to the very core. he hated her enthusiasm and good hardheartedness and wanted her to change.he was an ambitious and cruel ,and seemed heartless,but she would shook her head and turn the other cheek.he had her heart,even if he didn't have his own. she finally got free of him,when he died from  the heart attack.the stress in this vocation was a bonus and it was unavoidable,but it took its toll on him.so,she run from that surroundings and moved here,in this mediocre apartment. but doing this.. helping others with her advises,was a compensation and a reward of some sort.  
.................................................  
Lucien knew this day would come,so he mainly forced himself to believe that he had to approach William,that that ,indeed was the only reason why he still lived.and he could have been killed at least a 1000 times...so...he proceeded...it was hard and heavy on his chest,but he knew not what else to do.William was Loki.and Loki could fix everything.

he choose to influence him and prepare him indirectly- -namely he gave him the memoirs.the very book that started will s nightmares and memories .he.however would never force will to go to the past if he still had his family,but now he had nothing.William though that he has him,his son and petula,his friend ,but he was wrong.

petula was dying,for she was sick..Lucien was aware of this,he felt it,yet she told no one. ...and he ...he,himself had enough .enough of every sunrise,every sunset, every face and job out there.every woman who wanted something more ,and very man who watched him with disgust.oh ...and his nature...he hated manipulating others just so he could get some that foul liquid.whatever William does,it would inevitability change the course of the present,there was no doubt about that.so he was glad to see...what would the outcome be...even if he doesn't see it..it would be better than to go though all that again.Lucien,uspokenly hated himself.

William re-read the tragic book over and over again,get to know the people of that time..their descriptions...Lucien taught him few fighting moves and how to invoke the magic from within loki s body...which was strange,mostly because in this reality nothing took place.but it will...Lucien persisted.ok.ok.maybe his son is right.he was raised by Frigga and she was a so called seidr master.so he had to know some stuff,William thought..

Lucien however,as the d-day was approaching,was becoming more and more secretive and dark..he was not telling something,but William decided he does not want to know what exactly.  
"but how will i communicated with them? i do not know at what precise time will i arrive there ...i also do not know where will i arrive!"  
it was logical that there were numerous questions forming inside William s mind,but Lucien would reassured him ,showing no emotions.it was so unlike him,as if he had to change his persona,for that day,and that was not really helping anyone.

"fret not...your brain shall recognize language of that time ,for the soul will remain yours,but the body will change.however,i must warn you to mind  your vocabulary...also you do swear a lot."  
at that he finally smiled,and his father sighed.was this his true smile,or was it an artificial creation meant to deceive?the long haired out-off time man looked anywhere but at him,and his voice was so serious.it pierced like daggers.why?this was a serious occasion...but still...something was still amiss.

"the arriving moment will be guided by the norns,and that is not something we can affect.also do try to ask questions without giving away that you do not know the answers to them.this is how you shall orientate yourself."

but it was all mostly theory and not practice and the cluelessness was the two thirds of will s preparations.  
the last sunset ...the boarder between the day and the night,as much as the dawn was...breathtaking yet underestimated.father and son were on the balcony...this was his ,goodbye most likely.William shivered,and wanted to hide somewhere.as if he was waiting for the executioner,despite all the knowledge he has gain.

"all shall be well,i will be with you trough the whole out body experience." -stop telling him lies,Lucien s conscience yelled.  
the older man could not detach his view from the ancient light,that sun was...it was so eternal,yet it died every night and was born every day.so much about metaphors and comparisons.  
"have you done this before?"  
"maybe..."  
"liar!"-will smiled softly.  
"hahaha...but a poor one,father."  
maybe he will never hear this words again.maybe it was all so conclusive and final...oh,damn!  
"i love you son ..."-theirs eyes have met,still appearing orange under the distant light.  
"i love you too.i always have".

and ...i will miss u dearly... that was the unspoken part.  
\----------------------------------------------  
petula arrived an hour later with the stones..she was like  Frodo...their power attracted people on the streets yet,she arrived safely.no one understood what was so special about this woman,but they didn't stop her or made any connections with her.the gems possessed some kind of a protection spell carved within them.

as instructed by the spell ,only Lucien knew,and ironically,by heart...William had to lie down .he picked the old couch...he will miss all that squeaking and discomfort,it has it s charm.he only realized that now.then petula carefully placed the three stones-one on his forehead, one on the top of his chest and the last one into his hand.

"what now?"-William swallowed hardy...  
"now petula and i shall chant...she is to repeat after me...and during this, you shall fall into a deep slumber,felling nothing....and when you woke up, you will be on the other side."  
"um..would it be rude if i decide to quit now?"-it was only partially a joke.  
"there is no quitting,i am sorry..."  
"what do you mean?"  
"look at the stones..they are already glowing,for they have recognized your soul s pattern ,which means that this was destined to be,and their energy has to be used,so that it would not direct itself onto or form into something  unwanted.now please close your eyes ..."

he turned to ,now somewhat scared petula ...  
"this is a very old spell,so try to repeat the words exactly as you hear them,alright?"  
she only nodded,afraid to speak.  
as they chanted, William felt more and more relaxed and quickly fell into a state of no state at all.

"it is done."-Lucien concluded ,sounding almost automatically.  
"so...we did it?is he on Asgard?shouldn't  we feel different?"  
"no,not yet...his soul can travel only if he...dies.this is not an astral projection,this is something else."

petula instinctively stood in front of William...

"what are saying!?surely you are not gonna ...?!"  
"i am sorry,there is no other way,." his eyes were dark,and posture and movements stone cold.

"i will not let you kill your father!"  
"as much as i would want him to be just that , he,unfortunately is not my father."-before Petula could even scream, he grabbed her and locked in the bathroom.  
"then he leaned over the body on the couch and lifted the kitchen knife....  
"forgive me...but i do have faith in you..father."

 

 

 

 Will s soul travels....


	11. Back To The Past

what was left of William ,and that was mostly horribly difficult to describe,for it would involve a larger discussion upon the matter and definitively an international  group of the snobby scientists,philosophers,masters of this new age science...was now far from his body.any connection that was there ,now was gone.but this was not death,for he have met death ,even not so long ago.no...he was going backwards....through time itself .he was actually an energy traveling and experiencing everything and all,but in reverse.

however, he was still in a small creation of of his own world.he was flying and seeing everything that occurred from only few minutes ago to the very beginnings of him as William .when he was still in his physical form,he was not as nearly aware of the labyrinth and an overall mutual connections between an events,experiences and feelings that were created from them.also every single person he had met,and how it have helped him grow spiritually,despite even if it was a heart damaging relationship.

 

the first thing he saw ,were Lucien and Petula standing over his body...then there was Lucien sneaking into his apartment-after he  has arrived from the hospital ...the agonizing deaths of his family,his second marriage...the universe was cynical so it made him went trough his first marriage in blink of an  eye,just after the second one  -was someone up there drawing parallels here for him ?

...there were sounds of students cheering -it was his graduation...then the scene of the complete humiliation -little William failing into the mud when someone threw that large ball at his head ...he never saw before how it was,but here from this perspective ,there were no doubts-jack...fast forward and right into the serenity his mothers arms provided.being a baby and cradled in them.....why don't the moments like these last,why does the negativeness gets stuck onto you as you grow?

...and there was this soothing darkness and just the heart beats. both his,and his mothers...space...he was in some kind of a space ...or was he? ...no matter how strange that might sound ,but he was not sure if this was a macrocosmos or microcosmos...atoms,electrons and neutrons...the starting point of his existence!there were vivid,almost neonic colors..something similar to the lightnings,but not lightnings.not at all.watching his cells and the way they were formed would make anyone speechless.makes you wonder why do people prefer the destruction over creation.

and then he felt a relief ,he went beyond the borders of his time..there was an another light in front of him...at first it seemed small,but as he got closer, he had found himself floating parallel to some kind of the road that existed from someones life...the first event he saw was an axe being held over his head by some kind of an albino creature...then he saw Lydia in a white lace dress slapping him and telling him she hates him ...he quickly understood this movie  it as it was. all a part of his soul ,his journey.but it was so very long ago...he saw a war...fire and ice...elves and dwarfs...he saw bodies and rivers of blood...he saw a monstrous serpent and a wolf ...the soft smile upon the blond s woman s face ...the time went further in the past... a young man with a sword...then this man was a boy...William was speeding up ,but unintentionally...he was getting closer and closer to the desired point of his life as one Loki odnson....and it hit him right then...all this was too real to be just a dream!he was scared beyond measure...as if he was floating in the space without anywhere to grab himself to,or anyone to call for help.

the "film reel" then split in one particular place and he was pulled right into the crack.  
the sensation of having a body again was more agonizing than it gave satisfaction and relaxation to his being.he definitively was not relaxed,in fact ,he was so weak,his mind shutting down and his knees betraying him cruelly ... to be on all fours and feeling dizzy was not what he signed up for.his sight was blurred and that sensitive stomach of his made all kinds of twist and turns . he was still disoriented and could not think clearly,but having an almost immediate blackout was partially a way for his new body to adjust itself to this spell and accept the new entity within ...and partially to regain it s strength again.

when he came to it...the whole darn room was turning,spinning,almost yelling ,making him growl.. he  was facing this picturesquely painted ceiling ... colors could be described as...quiet?he has never thought of describing something non breathing in such a way,but his mind started responding again,and in the most unusual way.then he experienced the last part of his involvation in this new word. there was a sudden rush of calmness and he was sinking deeper within himself....until he felt the connection between him and the body. another blackout ...the body was still not ready to let him use it.when his emeralds have finally saw the painting above him,and recognized it as a painting ,and not only the colors ,he was a different man.the same ,but not quite so...

"umphh..."

 

although he would not move in this state,not in a million years ,the loud noises coming from a hallway on the other side of an exaggeratedly large doors ,forced him to ,at least try and stand up.  
he was alarmed by the surroundings.  
the room was a vast in dimensions... a lot bigger than his apartment ,and not to mention the bed...the term king size bed just got to a completely new level...black silky sheets ,green pillows...stuffed pillows and not some cheap sponge they offer you in the same row with the kids toys.

oh my! this shit has worked!it really, really has!he was on Asgard! the mythological Asgard!  
he spot the ,also needlessly large mirror on the side and run to it,completely neglecting his body s turmoil.by now,he has forgotten all about it.

he was trying to prepare himself  for this, for a month now.....who knows how he looks....equally exited and afraid and nervous and freaking  curious ,he stepped in front of it and gazed upon himself .  
"oh,i.was.not.expecting this.not at all..."

and there he was...he was still William! well about 80-90 percent,that is.  
but  2meters tall william ,and evidently younger william.around 30-something.his pale body was defined by this an exotic muscles and a six pack...

the color he knew his eyes to be ,jade, was now the lightest shade  of green imaginable,making him appear like a B-list horror movie villain,he thought.  
but what made him ,actually approve this make over was his hair,now longer and thicker than ever ,reaching his wide(er) shoulders.thaaaaaaaaand,there were no greys or wrinkles in sight.  
he traced his hands all over the face,just for a good measure.yes that was still him,but at the same time...not...  
"amazing!"

his attention was divided from this self admiration seance when someone has knocked on the doors.

  
"oh,fuck!"

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is still an undefined chapter so,please answer me in sentences ,not questions,what time should this be ?waht point of Nordic tragedy?


	12. Begginer s mistakes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i need to edit ...but i had a bad day,so forgive me,please

when the guard Bjorn has stepped into the royal chamber ,in a role that he was not so overly fond to accept in the first place ,the underestimating role of a messenger , he thought that the unwanted prince Loki is probably still in bed ,which would be an indication of the lazy higher class,but instead the bastard of Odin was holing a dagger,looking drastically frantic,his nostrils flattering and eyes filled with murkiness.the man under the heavy armor tried his best not to show his nervousness. if the mad prince,was truly mad,as they say,he had the right to strike the member of a lower class first...and he possessed the black seidr.Bjorn would not have a chance,.

when William heard the  guards, he was out of his wits.for one , he was unaware was he ina  right place,at all.yes, he has entered Loki s body,that much he was sure,but other then that...who knows what time it was?maybe Loki was trespassing this place,whichever it was,and was unwanted here.secondly , he read that the servants were the ones to knock on the doors ...when the guard does that for them,one does not have to be a genius to know that this were bad news.

he did what he,William would do-he was about to protect himself.and the only weapon he saw were some daggers sprawled on the desk ...as a decoration,but they were sharp enough.not in his his wildest mind has he thought to use-magic,for he just acted .and maybe overreacted...as usual...

prince Loki was of an ill mind,that much was known,but what was unknown were his motivations and doings.and the less interaction with this shadowy man,the better.so the guard bowed in a belief that that would calm his master a bit.:"forgive me your highness,but the king is asking for your presence in the royal hall.should i inform him that you will arrive or.."

he traced his eyes over Loki s half naked figure.he only had leather pants and boots on,and his hair was showy ,which was in the complete contrast of his usual sophisticated appearance.  
-a drunk night with one of the women from the harem,indeed.the guard thought and did his best no to smile at that.

Loki s eyes grew wider and the Bjorn felt the sudden  uneasiness between them,but could not point out what caused it.maybe he has said something wrong,or perhaps his tone was suggesting something to Loki that only he,and he alone has transformed, in that dark mind of his into something,that could be stated as wrong .

though,William cautiously put the dagger to it s original place.he just saw the real live asgardian and ...understood him speaking.

"you!"-he yelled,he was too excited to think about his behavior and manners and an overall culture and class rules he had to learn...it was good that his limbs were still grounded.  
"you're a guard?"-what a stupid question,he just figured,but it was a beginner s mistake,both pumped up with an adrenaline and that mystical experience.

the person in question was confused by this-"that i am, sire,and i do apologize ,but the king ordered me to send his message to you,and not your maid.i am truly sorry if i have disturb you..."  
the prince run his long delicate fingers trough his hair,and it was such a good feeling-to have it this long and with this much volume....he was searching for words.some proper words,for a change,for he had to present himself as Loki, and not a pathetic mortal from the future ...

"alright..i will be there,but...did he tell you what does he want from me?"  
"no my lord.he did not."

-shit..ok,ask him something else,but try not to look as if u don't understand anything.which you don't,but the less they know,the better...-oh, shut up brain!for once shut up!and let me concentrate!

"um,are there any rules... how i should be dressed for ..this occasion?"  
"i am not quite sure mi lord,but i do believe it should involve an armor."  
"why?"  
"he did mention something about traveling."

"oh...alright.you may go...no!wait.i want you to stay ...outside,that is...until i get dressed and then you shall accompany me to the king.is that understood?"

-good job there,william.how would you find anything around here ?

"perfectly my prince."

the guard bowed ,internally hating his working position,and was outside,too quickly even for William to notice.

the 5 minute monologue and pacing around the room was nerve calming and William desperately needed that.  
""wow!oh my!...i...i cant even...i dont know even where to start!this is really happening! i have traveled trough time!i really need a cigarette now..."

and just when he sad that and almost felt and smelled the wonders of that nicotine sticks Marlboro made , he saw the asgardian version of one of them inhis hand .it looked like a thick Cuban cigar,but the smell was fuller and more spicier.since the Marlboro will not exist for another 1000 years, he would have to find some satisfaction in this...but wait a minute...he just created the cigar out of the thin air! he just did his first spell! how did he do it...ok,take a deep breath will...let s repeat what you just did-frist your mind drifted to your needs,as usual,for you are a a bloody narcissistic, ego tripping self hating bastard.then you felt the energy of the desired object and then you felt in in your hand and... voila !like that "secret" book,but this shit actually works!he opened his eyes to see yet yet another asgardian cigar there.he just made two cigars!  
"blimey!"

the guard coughing on the other side the doors ...and a lovely doors that were...with the engraved golden runes...well,that made him recall the other aspect of this situation.he is to see the king....now he felt his heart beating fast,he was sweating the cold sweat and his stomach hurt again...he had to drink somethin.luckily ,there were numerous bottles of an  unknown origin and or ingredients ...sure,they could contain wine,but he really was repulsed by the idea of poisoning himself right now,for  he can always do it later,on his own terms.so he settled for the  water.oh, good they had clean,cold water here.and it was far better that any tap or bottled one on earth.after that he had to get dressed...um,yes ..but what should he wear ? the closet was stuffed with the robes,cloaks,leather,tunics,pants for every possible and impossible occasion ,which would confuse even those who watch fashion shows on a daily basis.and that was not a regula in his home...he would wear white shirt and a black suit.for years...so this was ,to put it slightly , very difficult.and what worried him was,  that he could offend someone if he picks the wrong piece.  
it was useless.he will have to learn one step at a time.  
"guard!"  
the man reappeared-"my lord?"  
"please ,fetch me a servant!"  
\-----------------------------------------------------  
the doors of the main hall were larger than his whole building and his eyes went up and up...and they grew tired of  this exercise but ,it was unlike anything he ever saw before.  
"incredible".  
he whispered,and his entourage only exchanged looks.  
there were three people in the room...massive hall,that is.the servant lady dressed similarly to the Amish ,the king,obviously,which made William lower his head.his energy was too much for the puny mortal,and he was still not accustomed to find himself anything more than that ..besides ,what if the ruler of this abstract world sees right trough him?he would be dead in a mere seconds,and without helping his family.so he did not brought the attention to himself..or ...at least ,tried not to ...nor he really saw  the third person,which was also not entirely strange for she was a small girl.a small girl with an exceptionally long raven hair.  
but, she turned an he has instantly recognized her.


	13. KIng Down

how it is like to see your love,your wife and your child...and all in one.heart wrecking would be an understatement...William dragged himself down the golden marble path towards the massive throne,passing the row of the large read curtains and windows that reminded him of how far in the clouds they actually were.how all of this was.. a lucid dream come true. his eyes were both on hel and ...had to be on Odin,as well...he could threw up right now .why was everything in a slow motion?why is this burden of his only becoming heavier and heavier?

she was so small,so fragile...much like peter and Phillip...they were about the same age as little " Lydia" when they....,but she was something else.not Lydia..and-in this world she could not be his anymore...if he was Loki...yes,the truth was, he was Loki with a more (re)collected experiences and understandings then ever before...he was here to rectify all this misdoings of his former self,and others...for now,he could at least try to stay calm and not to break down at the very first sight of ...she was dead,but now here she is ...starting anew...she could be ,and achieve so much if he plays his part right,and not be his selfish possessive self...

for the first time ever,Loki didn't bow at Odin ,and that surely could not go unnoticed.William knew of the protocol only in theory ,but he was only too preoccupied with his daughter to think twice about it.and the old king,frowned...the dislike he had for his out of wedlock son, has just increased,for Loki was up to something,and by defying him,his authority in such a manner...he is to be punished ,but afterwards...afterwards...

 

Hel left her maid Elga and run to him,to her father,to the person she shared something special with ,something she shared with no one else.it was hard to describe...it was something non visible,or material,so it could not be touched..but it was there...she knew him,and he knew her.

quickly grabbing his hand ,her eyes lovingly searched for his.she needed for them to tell her that all is well...but they could not lie.  
"hel?"-he asked,instead and was quite unsure of what to call her at all...he knew her name...he could feel her inhuman skeletal fingers beneath all that expensive fabric...but she was more people in one to him.

"grandfather said that we are going on a trip!"-she was slightly confused after seeing the desperation on Loki s face,but tried not to reflect her emotions trough her voice.and how honey-like her voice was,William thought. so sweet and childish ,which brought tears to his eyes,his self control slowly slipping away.

"oh,he did now,did he?a trip? what kind of a trip may that be?"-then he looked at Odin. "what kind of a trip?"-he repeated ,raising his voice,for Odin was a statue made of an ice.  
\---------------------------------------------

"Loki..."-the king trailed,also rising his own tone...and William had a deja vu,like no other...he saw himself standing from aside and watching his body,himself in this very situation...Loki clenching his fists ,and lowering his head...and accepting what it is to come...  
"i ve decided to give your daughter,a realm of her own.she is to be a Queen one day,and i am sure that this is a position in which you would like to see her.or am i wrong?would you not like for her to be sitting on  a throne?"  
\----------------------------------------------

William blinked and was in the present reality again.

"...unfortunately,her appearance does her no good ,and since she is my granddaughter, her welfare is important to me."-the words Odin poured out were as deep as reading a newspaper.a speech ,to ensure that things go smoothly and quickly.he did not mind of gesturing to hel...to remind her of how different she was.

"Nifelheimr?are you saying,you are banishing her off to Nifelheimr?"-since they are being so direct,and wasting no time....  
the maid gasped...everyone knew what Nifelheimer was...and even the little girl felt the heaviness of the situation.  
now the king s features darkened...Loki knew..how did he knew of this? and William could read his thoughts,plane as a day,so he asked,to avoid the worst:

"do you approve of Hel to be escorted by her servant and to her room?"

to that Odin simply nodded,but it did not slip him that he has not addressed the maid as a maid ,but a servant and that his whole posture was lacking gracefulness.  
"yes, it is better for a child not to hear this.take her to her room then ."

\----------------------------------------------  
"no!she will not be banished to that awful place.!i am her father and i can take of her!i do not see any reason for this,she is not your concern!you do not have to do this .."

Odin was red all over his face and was now rushing down from the majestic throne.

"she is ,but unwelcome here !she is an abomination of the nature itself !you do not know of her dark seidr,or what she could do!if she is to become the queen of nifelheimr she would benefit the future of this and all other realms.that is her duty!"  
"benefit you say? a duty?!she is a kid!"

"what has gone into you?you act and speak strangely, boy! have you come in touch with the dark seidr yourself?"  
"what is that suppose to mean?"  
"you are not the Loki i know ...unless you are some kind of an impostor...or an imitator taking his appearance?!"-the king yelled and William felt his own rage rising.  
"i am not!i am just tired of putting up with you bullshit!"  
"you shall obey my order!"

willaim could thank his mood swings for being so overly confident right now-"and what if i do not?"  
"then there shall be severe sanctions,and punishment.and you will never see her again.."  
and William flipped at that.."you cant do that!"

"so...that is all you can say to me?you are still disobeying your father?your king?  
"what kind of a father are you?"  
well...then it is settled."  
"no! if you do that...i..i..ll kill you!"

 

Odin raised his gungnir and was ready to strike Loki...,for this ,indeed was not Loki...and if he was,he was possessed...there was only one thing to do.if he survives go,but if not...  
but something happened to the other man...the huge amount of luminescent green light and energy that appeared from Loki s body surged trough his fingers and hit his father in a powerful blast.  
it was a protection magic,the one Loki used often and his body knew of this...however William just had his very own first taste of it...and he could feel himself being drained ...but the sight of the most powerful man in the known universe on the floor ,really does avert your thoughts ...  
"oh ,no! what have i done!?"

 


	14. All Was Planned

what was he to do?he was still in delirium from actually killing a real person...he was a murderer.those words echoed in his thoughts.

"no,no...this can not be!"

but indeed,it was so.the mighty ruler of the nation which could easily crush earth in a few seconds was sprawled on the beige blocs that seemed to go on forever.if he , truly has killed the beloved king,then he is doomed.he was,however expecting that sooner or later.but...what of hel...surely ,they would not punish her for his crime?!would they? he could not spare one more minute without trying to do...something?but what!?what?!

he tried all...checking the pulse,massaging Odin s heart...but all pointed to the worst . now he ended massaging his own heart ,he has just condemned little hel and himself to -what?  
he was a goner-that one was an ergo to the end of his sentence,but what of her?if he surrenders free willingly,maybe there is still some hope for her.she is just a child,and has not had any participation in this...

he slapped himself...you are an imbecile !think like Loki...use his powers like you just did...just reverse them...that seemed quite easy ...thinking about it,but ,..but how to do it in practice ? he tried to invoke the magic the same way he manifested that cigar...he felt the energy of the healing and he succeed in erasing the blood and purple bruises form the place on Odin s skin ,where the old king was hit.he smiled with hope....

"there...common , now...please breathe,common..!"

nothing. he bit his thumb nail...what else ?...

"feel the energy of his life ...yes,try that"...the strange voice within him guided his acts.  
so he nodded to it,and just when his hands were placed over the healed spot,someone spoke up: "whatever it is you are planing to do,stop right now,..."

her voice was the one of the spring mountain s water and her steps were almost soundless.

"petula!"-he whispered,but of course he was mistaken,and immediately felt a deep shame for his naivety ,for the presence of this divine queen could not be mistaken for anything or anyone lesser .the veil of those bronze curls and the rich embroidery on the white dress were truly matching for the likes of her,yet her aura ,and they way she carried herself revealed her uniqueness. to his untrained eyes she looked like she was levitating and not walking,which only put him in an awe.

before he could register, she was already kneeling next to them two.he was astounded by her inner beauty ,most of all.her eyes were universes to themselves...

he felt her turmoil,for her feelings were opposing her mind s justice and rightful anger...her husband was killed,yet she could nerve hate her "son" .or blame him doing this...not even if she wanted to.strangely enough,it was..like she was prepared for this.she was not crying nor she looked surprised.

  
"you are not to invoke the magic of the nifelheimr.that is not something you are capable of wielding."-she said.

  
she was probably talking about the resurrection...and he let his misjudgements and fear led him into twisting the laws of nature .the result,indeed could be horrifying.

  
"i know who you are.you arrived from the time beyond death?"-she said ,reading him like an open book.

  
"why...yes.it is true.how do you know this?"

"i spoke with myself from the same time .. my energy or soul as you call it ..petula told me all there is to be known about you and all that could come to past.i knew of Odin s devious plans of conquering jotunheimr...and how he wanted to divide you from your daughter...and what would become of that predicament."

"i ...i am here to change things for the better...i have never thought of ...of doing this! please you have to trust me...whatever it shall be of me ..it does not matter...but please"-he grabbed her hands,squeezing them only to tightly in his desperation-"please do not let them harm hel.please!"

"no!William,i have foreseen this alternative future when your soul started the walk to the past.in your world that were seconds,perhaps few minutes..here- years passed."

his green eyes were so large ,she could seen herself in them-"but then ...why haven't you stopped me?none of this would have happen!"  
"precisely... "

"wait!"-he was on his feet again and was stepping backwards from her-"you wished me to kill your husband?why?i though you loved him ! or... you set me up and used me as a pawn ,so you would not have to get your own hands dirty?!"

" no."-she expected every word that came from his mouth ,thus she stayed calm and sorrowful as her eyes fell upon the body on the floor...

"William...if you had not taken his life ,he would taken the lives of many others...including the one of my son...he would drove both you and hel into madness...your children would die a horrible death.."  
when she spoke his name,it made him relax a bit,although he suspected he would act differently by seeing someone familiar who knows of his true "identity".relaxed was not one of the options.especially not here.

her emptiness ,the whole this loss has bestowed upon her was something William felt too many times.he shared her pain.they set like that in silence for some time .

"i am so sorry.i can not give you what i have just took away,but if it is within my power..."-he breathed in, accepting his soon to be fate,and she quickly said:  
"fear not!your daughter shall be well.and...i myself am to be blamed for this,for i have not tried to change the outcome ,but only let you proceed.this was not merely your doing,but Loki s as well,for he is still within this body and you two are existing as one."

  
that voice .that haunting ,despicable voice-it must have been Loki!but then again,he heard that voice back on the good old 6th floor where...when he had his family.so...does this mean that Loki sent a part of himself in the future,because he knew ,he will end up in past again?no that was obviously ludicrous...

 

just then...the guards marched in.and it took them longer than William expected it would.he was now completely pale and bloodless...he closed his eyes...here it goes...your punishment...the dark voice in his mind jested.shut up...William s voice screamed in protest...

the two men in those pretentious armors looked absolutely confused...they were prepared for the battle but not for the dead people...great...their eyes wondered up to the prodigal son and stayed there.the expression ,they wore,went from the classical question-marks ,to the typical accusation.William hid his hands behind his back.their shaking was an obvious sign of the bad guy who did something wrong in a very wrong way.like ,was not successful in hiding evidence ...or running away.

Frigga stood up in all her glory...and said sadly-"my beloved husband passed away few moments ago...his heart was weak...however ,due to the usual procedure, his body needs to be taken to the healing room.i would ask you to be discreet about this."

"very well ,my queen".  
they did as they were told,but those looks to kill were still on will.

when the doors were shut,and room was filled with emptiness,the two of them were left in the shadows of their decisions and /or mistakes.  
"so...what will happen to me now?"  
"now...i am going to try and help you restore your knowledge of the seider ,and how to use it.i shall teach you all and every that it is to be know of the nine realms,it s people ,laws and culture.this is your home now.and one day,perhaps...you shall be king."

 

 

 

 

                                                                 .


	15. Asgardain Home

800 years later,or the equivalent of the asgairdinan 8....

 

many many things have happened ,and not necessarily changed since the day when he arrived here,he William Thompson,now known only as Loki odinson,the second son of Odin,and now in line for the throne of Asgard ,on which ,the true asgardaian warrior Thor was sitting ...well,rarely .after his father died ,Thor felt like he has lost everything.not only has he looked up to the old king,but wanted to fill his heart with pride and joy.he would do anything,and there  is an accent to be put on that word,anything so he may be as  nearly as worthy of the gungnir,as he could.the criteria was set by Odin himself.and since he spoke little,his oldest son was in the mist of not knowing what and  when is it enough,or is it enough at all.

so,by bringing victory after victory to this realm,expending the borders,and filling the national treasury,and even taking slaves he yearned for the approval of that one person .there was never  a ruler like Odin.only one was as mighty and glorious before him.his father,king bor,and yet Odin has raised the ladder...his reign ,truly was the golden era of the Asgard... and the bloody era for all the rest.Frigga s fears ,sadly have come true.Thor took upon himself to continue his father s mission that had no end.yes, Asgard flourished,but to what aftermaths ...

 

 

and today was ...yet another frivolous celebration of some irrelevant victory....and Loki was  repulsed by that term and the wrong way it was used -victory...victory...more like misery,treachery,...tragedy...

how many wine did they had to drink,or all the meat they stuffed themselves with...it seems that these feasts were , sometimes prepared for no reasons at all. no one really paid attention what was celebrated and when...just that it was.

Loki was on his bothersome position,next to his "brother" Thor .the guilt of being the one to take away the parent this blond man loved so much, was still very much present.so William did his best to be a shoulder for the other to cry on or yell,what was more Thor-like. and with the time they,indeed became close.despite the fact that they were the sun and the moon,yin and yang.

that was one of the deeper reasons why he armed himself with the patience . another skill  he had to develop in this place...the whole table shook as thor smacked his large fist onto it.he sang and drank and smiled and glow,and was followed by all ...he was a leader of this...zoo.

William would often watch him...his movements,his smile,the way he talked and walked... he had many similarities with jack,but...he was few steps behind him.jack could see his mistakes and would do anything to repair the damage he caused,but Thor...oh,no he was never wrong.and that was one of the qualities William " abhorred.this loud man was his kin,and he was there for him when he needed him,but Thor saw everything through the pink glasses,and ignored the cruelty of realism.when his men killed,he would say...we never kill women and children,only those who attack us...oh quite yes...lies...lie to yourself Thor,lie.

asgardian women,had no such problems..they clasped and followed the rhythm of the songs,danced and searched for their men,present of those to be their husbands.children were forbidden to attend this late,for now all the decadence was allowed.  
although , he tried his hardest not to notice the man sitting on the other side of table,right across him,it was unavoidable.the gynecologist...fandral...in all his smirkiness and eagerness...at the service of the women,of course .and few of them were already asking him to save the next dance just for them alone.  
"always my lady,always."  
he repeated through the night.

Loki found his salvation in the goblet,he shall stay for a while ,just to please Thor ,and then, fuck them all...he craved for the darkness of his room where the only light comes from the moon and starts ,and the embrace of the sea of pillows...period.  
"brother"-Thor used his elbow to slightly kick the shorter man in the attempt to "not-force" him to enjoy himself.why did he had to do that...and Loki had explained about the contra-effect he produces with his vigilantism,but in vain.

  
so the dark prince would have an explosion of anger now and then...and since his knowledge of magic has returned ,in majority , at least,he was not the one to be messed with.he was not the most popular guy ,that was for sure.trickster,liar...sorcerer...jotun...ah,all those epithetes ...the flattery that never ceases to end...lucky,lucky me,he thought...  
his mind was now in a strange  symbiosis with Loki s ...while one possessed the secrets of controlling and creating,the other used common sense and was thinking ten steps ahead.the only problem was,that he has lost the line between them two.like there was no line at all.

at least he had few people  he cared for,and who  gave him the strength ...the restless king...his naivety was a two sided coin,and William would use that -for the benefit of the land...he worked silently,from the shadows,as Thor s humble counselor.  
..Loki/William saved many...that was keeping him sane...also Frigga...who was his tutor....in everything.she even taught him how to fight with the usage of the cold weapons....last ,but not least was little hel.now, the little beauty of 14 years behind her.she was never sent to that blackness...,no, instead, she was nurtured and loved and protected this whole time.perhaps too protected and overly spoiled...she started rebelling for being grounded and forbidden to stay out late.Loki was both angry and glad and sad when he watched her grow...she was his love and now,as a young lady she reminded him only too much of Lydia.so he pretended to be harsh with her and pushed her away both for his and her sake.he saw her looks when she was 11...she gave him small,short peck on the lips,and his heart almost stopped.that day he started locking his room.  
"no,hel,from now on ,if there are lightnings outside,ask your uncle to control his temper.a big girl doesn't run to another when she has a bad dream.that is unladylike like."

so she took it all in...she learned to hide her feelings and femininity,even love she felt rising within her chest...and towards him.she had very few friends and spent time with them.those were mostly boys ,for the girls called her ugly and had orchestrated many scandals upon her expense.hel ,luckily proved to be taught and skillful not only in magic ,but also in combat.she was intelligent and since she had no right to be a girl,she acted like a boy.and those little vandals ,they accepted her as their equal...and many centuries went  in the classical boyish games-climbing up the tress,throwing mud balls ..wrestling...telling dirty jokes ,stealing alcohol from the royal wine cellar and riding horses.  
but all that will change one day...


	16. Feels Quadrangle

 

the slow-building disharmony ,which is to shake the somewhat peaceful grounds after the whole 8 centuries ,indeed,starts at the celebration venue,almost insensibly ...

the sounds of the goblets clanking one onto another, that tacky tasteless and overly kitschy speeches of red faced men ...nothing was too extraordinaire .in fact ,it was quite ordinaire ...for here, all was true...those megalomaniacal tales of wars,self proclaimed heroes etc etc ...  
before ,Loki would stood up and asked why are they glorifying the death and the destruction and it would end with them watching him as if he was a lunatic.their answers were as written in some sort of a guidance book for the the testosterone primitives :"we fight for the safety of our land...there is a great honor in defeating those who wish to destroy Asgard...you, Loki are not a warrior,and your pettiness means nothing here,so cease your attempts to destroy what we have earned in sweat and blood....(wine and...more wine?)...this evening and our feast."

Loki would ask-"...your s blood or that of the civilians?"  
then there was a collective roar and Loki would had to leave the ceremonial hall.so,William had to learn to shut his mouth.even when he was right.and he mostly always was.not a so simple task for person who dedicated his life to knowledge and humanism .and this people around him were equal to the children.a very disrespectful ,non-yearning for being taught children.he could cry to that,or laugh.or just sigh.there was no progress here,and he found himself ,again unworthy of this "mission".but...a seeing man in the land of the blind can show them the way...either that or they would find him to be a liar.for no one can see,yes?luckily,Thor listened,even if he could not see.

another dance started and eager maidens jumped to the first sounds of the flutes ,grabbing their partners and mercilessly dragged them to the dance floor.a sight seen a 1000 times since he arrived here so he had to develop the skills of an artist...and the art was to find himself a real amusement ,and after William figuring Loki s little tricks unpleasant to many,but him ,it made him step inside a whole new world, inside this whole new world.perfection.something he needed and craved for as long as he could remember ,but could not put his finger on...yes,magic.a leftover from his past,and now present existence.he was still afraid to use some more advanced spells,but making that chair dissapear before volstag could sit on it ...well,that was funny,of course volstagg knew who was the guilty one...hehehehe  
or when Thor s beard turned red....or when sif started quacking...lovely...

but tonight something,or rather someone else caught his attention....she wore a white dress...and had a blond hair with the silver glow ... it was clear that she wished not to be here tonight,but the older overly decorated woman pushed her to the royal table where the merry crew was.  
"lady adyssa of alfheimr and her daughter ,lady Valera.."-the elvish servant announced.  
they both bowed to Thor and thor only :"you majesty..."  
everyone except for the thor saw through that fake smile adyssa shared.

"glad to have you with us, lady adyssa,lady Valera.i do hope you will find your accommodation suitable and the feast mostly enjoyable".-said the obviously drunk king.  
"oh, we certainly have and will ,my lord.the accommodation ,indeed suits our taste,does it not,valera?as a matter of a fact, we do consider of staying in Asgard for a longer time."  
"oh,and how long may that be ?"  
"undefined,you majesty."-added the women dressed as a Christmas tree.

the role of lady Valera here was clear as a day .she was to be one of Thor s brides to be ,or ,if that does not work out...the king s entertainment doll.those ambitious mothers were a sight to see ...dragging their daughters around and displaying them as piece of meat.Thor only needed to choose.and while adyssa did all the talking and presentation and chated about the wonders of Asgard and how it is so much above anything in alfheimr,lady Valera stayed shyly quiet.another trait Christine,didn't have.she would said her opinion,and fought for the equality of women in the society ,in the professional circles and other...what Valera was lacking,Christine had.and she was a vision.how sweetly odd.Christine loved lord of the rings and she liked the elves foremost...no wonder...she was and elf,herself...and Loki bit his tongue,or he would surely end up laughing as hell.but,no truly,she was astonishingly beautiful.and coy.and...she attracted the eyes of the men in the hall...not so much Thor s as she did fandral s ...he looked as if he is going to eat her up.that man would not give her rest for the end of the night,so William had to do something about that.and fast.

. .

"lady Valera,would you like to sit here?"-he gestured to the seat next to his.there was always a spare chair there,for no one wished to be near the prince and his shenanigans.  
adyssa raised her brows...cruella de vil in flesh...she aimed for the thor ,to be her son-in-law,so she never thought of this twist of events...Loki and Valera?does the mad prince desires her daughter?but she could not protest now,for Valera,gladly accepted Loki s proposition .

the invisible triangle between fandral,her and Loki was filled with an awkward silence.fandral s gaze scanned this lady from her temple to her waist and back up again ,as he drank his wine.then he looked at Loki and "threw few daggers"...rotten little snake,he saw that she is an unspoiled gem and he had to steal her from him...oh,let the games begin then Loki,for he will not let go of his prize so easily.feeling that this mental discussion is being held ,Valera was breathing heavily,but tried to camouflage that with the sipping of the fruit juice and adjusting her veil.William was now in the pat position...was this alright...they do end up together,Valera and fandral.yes,william loved her,she was his wife...twice it seems,but...just look at that wolf ...fandral was a hot mess...and she would be broken if he is to toy with her feelings.oh,and he would do that...maybe if he separates them,for a while,at least,the blond warrior would change his way...oh,who are you kidding William...maybe,but surely not.  
he coughed..and turned to meet her eyes.."so,my lady..would you care for a dance?"  
"a dance?"-fandral interrupted?you are a jester Loki,you truly are!you never dance!you will be stepping on the poor lady's toes!"-and fandral never gets jelous...hmm

"i will do as i please fandral...but i shall let for the lady to decide."  
valera found herself between two fires and her mother always taught her to aim for the richer man and to keep him by any means necessary.

"oh,of course my lord..i shall gladly dance with you,your highness."  
Loki gently took her hand and sent a victorious grin towards fandral.  
although William was not the best dancer,fortunately this dance was not that complicated so his lack of skills was not that noticeable.  
"are you alright ?you seem pale."-he asked her...her eyes were everywhere but on him...she even looked back at fandral few times..

"i am well,my lord.with you...like this..i ..um.."  
he smiled,to make himself appear more humanly..

"there is no need for the formalities ...my name is..Loki..simply Loki."  
"Loki"-she smiled for the first time.and for a moment,just a moment..she was his Christine again..  
fandral poured himself the strongest drink on the table..

"no fandral ,not the muspeheimr s fire!"

"you shut your mouth volstagg!"

that drink was not something an aesir could tolerate without a sever headache afterwards ,not even volatsgg...but that maiden has made an impact on him...and Loki took her only to spite him.

Loki turned his gaze to his rival,but it traveled further than that and he saw two green angry eyes from the shadows .hel had this unwelcome habit of sneaking to the celebrations with few of her friends .  
she looked betrayed...  
"ahahahaha!"-calder ,truly had an annoying laughter-"it seems that you will be getting a mother soon,hel.."  
she pinched him-"how dare you!you are not to repeat that ever again!"

"oh,but...it does not matter what i say.it is up to your father to decide,and...as i recall...he never dances..and look at him now!"  
those words burned like fire...the very sight of her father touching that foreign wench was more than just humiliating.it was wrong!hel does not need a stepmother!and he does not need anyone!the two of them...was that not enough?just the two of them..  
she left the hall and her friend...  
Loki would run to her...but William shall not,no matter how much he hated this whole spiderweb in which he tangled himself into.  
but he stayed...with valera....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i dunno y i am writing anymore...i am in a phase of quitting...oh yeah...its late so i am sorry for the grammar-i am too tired to redo anything now.


	17. Reverse Image

the reflection...the reverse image of oneself... was forever an enemy of hers.that antique mirror was sending back only a smaller amount of the deadness she felt inside her being .she had to close her red eyes -a result of the whole morning cycle of crying...she didn't have much,no matter how it all appeared to others...to have a father, the heir to the throne ,if her uncle,Thor ,does not get a son (which was unlikely),means that she could have all her heart would desire...

and what would her heart desire in this golden cage... large jewellery? dresses?nothing of the sort ...Frigga s garden had something more meaningful to hel -flowers .it may seem silly,but the flowers would never flinch from her presence or turn away from her.she could speak to them,and they would listen.even the plants from midgad.her little friendship was to last as long as she keeps her left hand away...behind the glove.the moments of that utter silence and darkness when she had no one around,would be spent in mastering her own seidr.Frigga provided hel with her own knowledge and help and her father,as well,but only with the seidr that was common or ,at least known to them.however,her seidr was the one to be feared of...it did not heal,nor it granted love or joy.it took...the energy,the very life force of another...she found out about it when she was five and almost killed her maid .the maid didn't like her and forced her to stay in her room.of course,rebellious little hel would not take it...something happened...somehow...she dig her nails into the woman s flesh and the next moment,the blond aesir was on the floor,turning grey,her eyes getting dark,lifeless...hel got frightened and cried out...fortunately the maid got to the healers in time...that night her grandmother bound her energy and sealed it withing hel s arm and hand,but the force ...that black force is never to be completely controlled.Loki had a long conversation with his mother...his arguments about taking hel s arm were striking,but Frigga wanted her to know her own power and for them to wait until hel is old enough to make a righteous decision for herself.

hel knew not of this,but what she did knew was that she was different and what she really needed and wanted was being taken away from her ,little by little...day by day...firstly...the man who protected her for centuries from any foul words or deeds ,her father started avoiding her.he barely spoke to her...why?oh ,yes...ever since Valera appeared ,hel became a third wheal...having a deformed daughter does not help when one is courting an alfehimer s beauty.

but hel could not only be thankful to lady Valera for that.oh ,no...yet an another man hel admired was flying like a drunken bee around over this delicate elven rose .fandral.indeed,thor s friends were kind to Loki s raven haired daughter...but fandral...he was special...he was hers ...her friend.her smile followed his...afterwards she would search for her father and inwardly asked him...is he mad at her?was he jelous...he was not pleased,true,but he would kiss her softly and carried her to her room.tucked her in and tell her amazing stories about the strange time where people communicate with this small devices and watch moving pictures .she had her father s love and fandral s attention.what a fool she was...lying to a child is remarkably easy...

 

once ,fandral even jested that one day he would marry her...she was still looking at the mirror,violently brushing her hair...for who would want her,especially not a man who can have his pick.he needed only to gaze upon a lady and she would be his.but daydreaming was not forbidden in any realm,and that was all she was left with.since she never was considered to be anything besides a walking death,she learned to bury her softness deep inside her and chose to act as a boy.and those very few of her friends were her strength, but ...even that changed...  
"how could you be so naive and stupid!?"-the brush was broken into two ...she broke it,and it eased her anger.her darkness was slowly wrapping around her heart, comforting her...

yesterday ,as she passed the hallway after the talking to her tutor ,she saw her friends in the company of the same girls who excluded her from anything,solemnly based upon her appearance.when Calder saw her,at first he turned his back to hel,but then reluctantly ,he decided to meet her half of the way.as if he as if he was ashamed of her...he did have that expression before...that-we do spend time with your for nothing more but a plane pity...

she dig her nails into the papers she carried...and blinked awaiting for him approach.  
"hello,hel..."  
"njorna? you are with her...?for how long?why have you not told me of this?do we not tell each other everything?"

"i am sorry"-he knew he was a traitor but the sooner he gets this over with,the better.

"i could not tell you,for i know how much you two like each other."-and he added that bright smile to the end of the actually unending sentence.there was something more and the thin princess could sense it.

"so you lied!? she has spread the rumors that i have a vicious disease and that is why my limbs have no flesh! and...and...that is only one of the reasons why i am being avoided by everyone."

he only breathed out ,appearing bored of this old story-"again i am sorry,but i...i can not spend anymore time with you hel.and neither can Lars,flos or efi.we all agreed that it is for the best."

"what? but,aren't we friends ? what are you talking about?is this a joke of some kind?"

"yes, we are, hel,and if you need something ,you can come to us,but we ..we will just be spending less time together ..that is all."  
"because of njorna and the likes of her?"  
"look,i like her and now when we are together i do not wont to chose between her and my friends ."

he never saw hel cry,but if she was to stay there for a few more moments she is going to.  
"well,you just did..."-she run to her room,and calder knew that they will never speak again.

.......................................................................  
when you have nothing,what do you have...only a roof over your head...and as she lay there on that large bed ,she imagined the ceiling falling on her and killing her ....if no one cared for her,then that would be the best.  
she never considered that she may be over exaggerating...but then,again,she was only 1405 years old...,of course she takes every hurtful moment and multiplies it by a million.

................................................................................  
that was only yesterday,but her mind was not any clearer in the morning,for the sounds of her friends running through the halls were pushing her to open he doors and call for them...and they would turn,wave to her and nothing would be different.except that it was..after hearing Calder and efi,she heard that wicked njorna and few of her followers...

and hel was left alone...oh,what would she do now for a hug,or just a soft word ,someone to whispered to her that she is needed ,interesting,smart...  
but , not beautiful,she was never to be beautiful,now was she?

and that is one of the reasons why they have replaced her for those girls...yes,they were in the age when the first loves were being formed,and yet never has anyone asked her to dance with them..never...  
"now hel,what will you do...are you going to sit around and watch as they all mock you ,laugh at you and spit upon you or are you to do something?"  
"you can easily bring death upon those who deserve to die!".

her thoughts were her only companion now,and they were loud,oh so loud...normally she would ignore them,but now,she could not...and wanted not...  
"use you strength hel... ,prove yourself...if they do not love you...or give you respect then you must earn it .if it takes-through fear.2  
"i...i do not desire them dead..."  
"if not your friends...then someone you care not about."  
"who?"  
"Valera."

 


	18. The Day After

  
he took it upon himself to write down his own version of the infamous memories...the question in his mind that was still puzzling him, was how to sign at the end of this ,one day in the distant future...... as Loki,the person he once was ,or William ,the person he fought to stay.he deliberately refused to consider himself Loki,and yet he fared that his former self is to be his present self ...more and more ,as the time passes.the strength of Loki s persona was far mightier than the one of a mortal.pure logic there...he was losing this battle ,this tremendous turmoil within himself,and the memories of the rainy London and his children now seemed to be a dream...and what if they actually were?what if all that was a dream?!no!they were all real!and he just had to cling upon that idea...no,that truth.Loki must not take away his sanity!for Loki was far beyond sane...

 

the feather he used as a pen was now dry...neither he noticed this until now ,neither he could find words to continue...he already had 200 pages behind him...mostly observations,all personal thoughts being excluded ...he was playing teacher again.a person he wanted to continue on to be.  
the candle on the side was the last one he had.he should get some more...then Loki " pushed himself forward " again:"get some? make some...you should make some...you know how to do this,don't you?"  
he rubbed his forehead...he was tired but he refused to sleep...after each of his recent nightmares ,he would forget more of William and Lydia and peter and Phillip...  
when he could not sleep he would write...and,if he ,indeed is to be replaced by Loki permanently,he would at least write down his own side of the hi(story).that cigar...when he arrived here...he wished for Marlboro and he got something else...the thing was...what is not yet in the past or present,is simply not to be...and soon William will...not be...  
"what have i done....?and for what ?"  
but he knew better...not for what,but for who...that little one he loved so much.for her foremostly.

he did hear her sobbing the night before.and all he wanted is to run to her room,which was right next to his,and comfort her,but no...sacrifices must be made....

the results of his new decisions were visible and shall be appreciated in the long run.hopefully.he even influenced Thor in  the settling down...alright,Thor s reputation with ladies was clear,but William was pretty sure he had his eyes on his childhood friend sif.and why not-they were perfectly similar,and understood each other well.their union was just a matter of time,really.

and he...he has found himself someone too...lady Valera...truth be told,he has been missing her nagging...Valera was so very quiet,and the discussion and debates he had with Christine had their charm.he has wrote 20 pages about her only,and ...he even wrote letters  to her  .romantic type letters.it was not a plan to court the fair maiden,but at this point he could not stop himself ,for something was pulling him to her.he was simply drawn to her,and at the same time he made a thick wall towards hel.he was not only acting like a bad father,but also a person in general.and she suffered.and so did he.

his neck hurt so he made few circles with his head to make it click.hel ...yes,she was pulling him in hell...what a song could that be .hah...William would at some point be one with his alter ego Loki,and sometimes they were on the opposite sites of the battlefield.yes,Loki was there when it was a time to use magic,yes, Loki was there to "return the favor " to those who disrespected him,but he was also there when it came to his feelings about her.hel was his love,true...but she was ,also his grave.Valera ,on the other hand was his crush and friend...but a constant...there was no surprise or adventure there-all she ever wanted was a nice little family ,a nice little house and large flowery garden.no matter was she a Christine or Valera.  
"pay attention to your daughter!"-Loki screamed into his ear.  
"no!"no, i can not,"

but it would be better if he did...  
\--------------------------------------------------  
hel waited for another night to fall...she always felt herself more vibrant and flippantly during the dark sky...the energies that surged then fitted her well...she already knew how to move among the shadows and this act should be a fairly an easy one...all she had to do now is to sneak from her room...

Loki was escorting his lady of interest to her chambers...  
from one side of the hallway ,his daughter watched them breathing silently,and from behind them ,there was another figure ...  
"blasted fool"-the girl thought as she saw fandral following her pray.  
he had to ruin this ...

"i am to bid you farewell for tonight, my lady"-Loki leaned to kiss her hand, but his green eyes never left her blue ones...  
although Loki was mostly admiring her,for now,she had heard a lot of stories about him,and again adyssa persuaded her to do what it takes to keep the interest of a wealthy man for herself.Valera never wanted to give herself so easily,but she decided to ask:"would you like to enter,my lord?for a while,at least..."-her smile was not sincere. this was not like her,and William could sense adyssa s influence in those words.

"thank you my dearest,but i have to decline your offer.another time , perhaps."  
she  visibly relaxed.he was a gentleman.with her,at least.

after Loki became smaller and smaller in this ever so continuous hallway ,hel was torn between running to him or staying to see what was fandral s plan.  
oh, and he did not wait-after assuring himself that there is no one around,he quickly knocked.  
\-----------------------------------------------------------------

the serenity of the next morning that  was to be bright  and  crystal replaced with the black color and mourning  .adyssa was weeping over the body of her dead daughter.

 


	19. Sealed with the Blood

after the doors behind fandral were closed ,hel set on the marble in this half dark and  waited .and waited and waited...the torches hanging between the chambers all cross the hallway were her only companion.it has been more than the whole hour since he entered Valera s private chambers.if it was someone besides the overly self confident Thor s closest friend,hel would wonder about the events on the other side.the matters of politics,plotting against the king...anything.the taste in her mouth was an acidly one.she smirked as if she chewed on lemon .she could not decide if she is to hate fandral for seducing Valera,or was she,and this was hard to even imagine,in the oddest way,glad that Valera let him in.

well,this waiting was more than enough.and hel refused to get any closer to the doors.to hear fandral bedding another woman,was already to much,but lady fortuna has smiled upon her.there was no need for something so drastic as hurting the alfheimer maiden.telling what she saw would be more than enough to usurp the stabile romance she and Loki had and set up the chain reaction with ,hopefully a very dramatic consequences for the blond haired woman.what a shame!such a pity..that deceiving elf! so...she was like any other two-faced woman who unsuccessfully tried to hide her real intentions towards hel s father.they were primarily after Thor,but after he had his fun with them,their criteria would fall down to his half brother.and who was the only one who truly cared or loved him?she was... they never stayed.she has.and now,he will be forced to see this.although,she was getting confused about her desire to spend more time with her father and the need to protect him from those ambitious serpents,but perhaps that was considered to be normal.he was her only parent all..  
Valera was quite good in her little game.she almost fooled the girl.almost.and tomorrow all shall know about this.thank you,fandral.thank you dearly ever so much.  
.....................................  
when the blond warrior locked the doors ,before he could even speak a word ,she lost herself in his strong arms and was taking in his masculine scent.  
"we must stop this while we still can,my beloved."-she whispered,and he barely understood her.

"in here,even the walls,themselves have have ears.i am sure of it."  
"now,now,let them talk..i was not followed,for i do care about your reputation,my lady".

he was smirking,taking this too lightly,but she had this strange feeling.she knew she was in fear for a reason.

  
"why aren't you serious?i know Loki...he...he could do horrible things to you,to us, if he finds out that he was betrayed.and i...i do feel ashamed about all of  this."  
"you are ashamed of us Valera?"-he was serious now...or was he teasing her again?no,he was not.  
"no!yes...i do not know...please let us not waste  words anymore.i wish for this night to last forever."  
"then let us make it a memorable one".

they kissed and he picked her up and carried her to the bed.  
\--------------------------------------------------------------  
  Valera woke up few hours after her lover has left .the pillow he slept on still smelled of him and she caressed it,smillling softly.she could not be realistic right now,not when her heart was pounding so loudly and the idea of them running away form this castle could soon be a reality.for the first time,she will be far away from her mother s control.and Loki...,she rose and put on her night gown...only to return to bed again.Loki would hate here for this.and he would have his revenge upon the both of them .no one is to commit the treason of any kind against the prince.little less such a powerful sorcerer..

but,how could she go against her heart?and if she does...will they be a joyful family?no...his daughter would never accept her for a mother.and  Loki spoke so fondly of her,for he truly was a good father.but the child was wild and would protest often.somehow,Valera understood her.in her own way,that is. the beauty of the women was highly treasured in her realm.so she could only imagine,through what hel went through.and maybe the girl was even jelous .it,indeed was difficult to gaze upon such a ...creature.poor hel.

she was about to enter the REM state,when the white doors ornamented with the gold leaves were being unlocked.the only person who possessed the keys to her room was her mother.

 

 

  
the night flower torches she brought from alfheimr were lit instantly.

"um,mother..what are you doing here and ...in this late hour?"

the other women wore a dark cloak and was in one of her gravely moods.she watched as the young woman was quickly adjusting the sheets on the side on which she never slept.

"there is not need for that!"-adyssa pointed her long finger towards the red stain on the bed.it was the doubtful sign of what occurred here.  
"i saw him!"-she said,and her voice became deeper and the tone-louder.

the blond young woman could not say anything .she always feared her mother,the fear that was installed withing her since the earliest childhood.she was pretty sure that was the plan adyssa had all along.she fed upon her energy and tears.

"so...you gave yourself to that...that guard! do you even realize how much i have bleed... to get you to this castle,to this very position !?and you have just threw all that out the window! you ungrateful brat!"

"i..i love him,mother!and fandral loves me!"  
a slap that valera shall never forget,and then another on the other side.

 

"we agreed for you to remain pure until the wedding night with the prince! you have destroyed my efforts ! and what are to be now? a wife of a common sword wielder!?disgraced and...poor?!"

Valera wept,but spoke through the tears that made her vision blurry: "it doesn't matter if he is not of a royal blood,mother...i don't care! we shall manage somehow .i know of this...besides...you shall not be able to force me to proceed with your cruel ambitions anymore..."

"how can you speak like this?oh, you shall care when you have nothing to eat or nowhere to sleep!"

"please leave me be...this is my decision now...my problem"-Valera circled around the bed with the attempt to lock herself in another room,but adyssa was quite fast.

  
"you stupid incompetent slut! i have not raise you to..."-she grabbed the girl by her upper arm,digging the nails in her tender flesh.Valera struggled and tried to break free,and at one point adyssa did let her go.however,Valera lost her balance and fell down,hitting her head on the marble base of the fireplace.

when she was convinced that her golden daughter has ,indeed left this world...the fear was now upon her.she must not be cough here...she shall return later on and perhaps put a blame upon someone else.her future,as a mother of a murdered future princess is  to be sealed .with the permanent residence in the castle....  
"


	20. Shades of Hel

even the allmother, wise and powerful,but righteous queen Frigga in her infinite wisdom had a problem with gazing through the mist and shadows of the spell,pale princess has left behind her.the little girl,soon to be the equivalent of the midgardian 15 years was already so proficient in magic that even the queen could not see beyond her cloaking spell.and that was extremely disturbing,for who knows what more the girl had up her sleeve?and all the evidences were directed against her.

they said ...that the fair lady Valera has fallen by the hand of the black princess.of course ,who could have done it ,if not the daughter of Loki herself .her abhorrence towards her father s mistress was rather obvious.hel never hid her repulsion towards the silver lady, so all  that ,the kind-hearted people could do is to point and whisper.the rumors could cause an incorrigible disaster.this was not only the case of the court and the very few,but it was also a political dilemma between the two realms.the alfeheimrers have send their established representatives to meet with Frigga.she offered a traditional and diplomatic welcome and asked them to stay as long as they wish in the best chambers within this great walls,but she firmly stood in the defence of her non-granddaughter .

"how could a child commit such a crime,my lords? i am deeply saddened by the outcome of this past events,for we all truly loved lady Valera,but what you are referring to are not but an unproven accusations.and i shall not tolerate this.we are still searching for a person who is solemnly to be blamed for this,and in the due time, i am sure this person shall be found and he ...or she shall face the high courts of both Asgard and the alfeheimer."

adyssa was present in that meeting and she has metaphorically shrink.a punishment? she was not a naive fool,but now,for the first time those words were under her skin.she finally felt them.she could not be punished !it was Valera s fault after all-she was only trying to reason with the girl.it was an accident.surely any justiful court would see that as it was.  
Frigga always was the one to notice the unnoticeable-like the change in the adyssa s behavior..the woman knew something.

"lady adyssa,please...can you tell us something,anything at all that would help us resolve this hard situation.i know it is hard to remember ,but..."

adyssa was to say fandral s name when the doors opened,and hel marched in.even though she was still shorter then the most of them that sat around the oval table,her strong charisma made her appear taller and important.

"hel,you are not allowed to be here"-Frigga warned her and send her a look of both warning and protection.  
but,no.hel lifted her chin and said overly loudly:"i do apologize,for the interruption,but i must speak with you grandmother!"  
"this is not a place for the nosy girls".-one of the men said.

hel completely ignored him:"i know who killed Valera."  
the murmurs ,eyes going wide and adyssa s stomach turning-oh,no...has hel seen her that night?Frigga nodded and respectfully addressed the noblemen :"ladies and gentleman,you have my apologies , but i do believe it is rather relevant for me to have a conversation with my granddaughter.so i would kindly ask of you to leave us now."  
\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Loki...Frigga...and this magnificent throne room ...a little peace for the three of them...only them.a small family.as a it should be.anyone else would be nothing but a parasite,hel thought.right now hel s fantasy was far from becoming real.she could said that she saw fandral,she could imagine someone up,but the second she saw how much in pain the man whose embrace she yearned for was... he swallowed hard and unthinkingly stated:  
"i was the one who had done this."

Loki was quite strong when he grabbed her and started shaking-"it is  but a lie! tell me that you did not harm Valera !tell me,hel!"

her eyes were desperate to find the connection with him,and in this fatal moment,for if he truly loved her,he would feel that she was lying.but he doubted .as if he was another person.another person detached from their bond.he,indeed belonged to that...that...woman.

"hel,are you aware of the heaviness of your words?"  
Frigga rushed to separate them..

"yes.i did pushed her and i would do it all over again.the whore deserved it!"- after that ,Loki could not restrain himself anymore .his long fingers were around hel s thin neck and he pushed her to the first column .only when she started chocking, he let her go.

"if you were not my daughter,hel ...i would.."-he clenched his fists...  
"you would what ? kill me,darling father ?oh,please do...as if i would care!"

hel s gift to immerse his soul int the cold water of sadness was never to disappoint-the memories of Lydia and his sons were here again ...very vivid and fresh...he looked at his hands like he used to...in many ways this was his burden also...

"to me.. you are dead.i never wish to lay my eyes upon you again , hel..."  
he turned his back to her and the smoke of green swallowed him.  
"no father...i..."-she wanted his reaction ,but not like this...she wanted for him to feel the pain of the lost ..if he only had felt it,he would understand .how could he not know the basics of her emotions?how could he be so blind and limited?

"father!"-she reached her hand to the place where he was standing...and for Frigga ,it was all so difficult to witness.the very house of Odin ,that Loki and her  were trying to save ,through all this centuries was slowly falling apart.as if the norns would not have it any other way.

she went to the crying  girl and took her in her warm arms..  
"i know you are innocent ...i can sense such a things..."  
hel only blinked.

"are you prepare now, to tell me ,do you know who did it?"  
"no! um...what i meant to say is...i did it!"  
"why are so stubborn,child?!  
"i am to stay behind what i said!"

Frigga took in a deep breath-"then i have no choice but to do what the late king had in mind for you...you are to be banished to nifelheimer,where you shall find Valera s soul and remand it before the funeral...and you, however... shall not be welcome back...i am sorry..."

 


	21. Say not a word

to be siting on the stairs of the throne that was now hers ,was beyond her comprehension .only few weeks ago ,she would climb on the trees and wrestle with her friends.

those easy days filled with laughter and songs around the fire were gone forever,it seems .the needlessly long stairs were made out of the black onyx...a semiprecious stone that was rare in other realms,and mostly non existing in Asgard.but,here...the mountains were made out of it.

many of her future servants passed her in a hurry,bowing with the highest respect to their new queen.they were preparing her chambers,for she came unannounced.since the dark was a dominating element ,she could only perceive their shapes...maybe it was all for her...they wanted to scare her not.she messed her hair up by scratching it and tossing behind.10 minutes in the kingdom of the dead and she was already bored to death...so...perhaps it was an ideal place to bee,then?  
an inwardly auto-sarcasm.  
right there,somewhere in front of her were new steps...two feet...therefor one person ...and,so, she jumped and run towards him or her .the servant in question looked her in surprise ,confused has he done something wrong,for the girl appeared quite unhappy  with the whole ordeal.true,this was certainly not Asgard,but ...she was a queen,a title of the highest rank...this was a peaceful realm.and there were no wars here or sickness of any kind.

hel wanted to test her tolerance to their appearance,so she proceed towards this short man.a midgardian.or...a former midgardian,to be precise.a man who ended his life in a battle... split skull and a missing eye would be an indicators to that. but she found nothing repulsive there.in fact she...well she did felt that her own impairments were not relevant here at all.she knew not ,should she be glad because of this ,or not.

"my queen ,are you in a need of something?"-he asked politely.  
"err...no....i was just taking in my new...environment....are you in pain?"  
"pain?why would you ask me this?oh,i see"-he smiled.."no,milady .i am dead.there is no pain in this sector."  
"sector?"  
"the souls sentenced to the physical punishment are on the other side of the river."  
"o...how many sectors are there?"  
"around 70 ,my lady."  
"70?"  
"yes.this place is very much alive.and never sleeps"-he smiled again.hel was getting paler.there is no rest for the dead and it seems ,there shall not be any rest for her,either.  
\-------------------------------------------------------------------------  
after finding Valera s name on the scroll that the servant gave her ,she erased it and went to the window.there was this gentle white light rising from the river and rose high above the darkness and dissapeared.  
as wondrous as it may be,watching a soul traveling,hel again could draw parallels between those who had luck and those who did not.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Frigga knew in her heart that she could count on the fractious ,yet unhappy little girl to set Valera free.for she saw her fragile granddaughter feeling herself being trapped among the enemies, and also there was this unwelcome change in her attitude.not to mention ...the bond with Loki that was becoming stronger and more noticeable as the days passed by . that glow in her eyes when she would look at her father...hel had to leave for her own good.Frigga tried to exclude her emotions from this pilled up problems,but that was impossible.the future forming did not appeared to be a bright one,so she focused on this very moment.

Valera was brought to the healing room.as always ,anything non traditional was a target for those gossips.at first,many saw Frigga s order to be a peculiar one, but the great shock that followed when lady Valera s chest started rising shall only confirm the all mothers position to be a validative one.

"my queen!"-the high healer eir,called out.  
the person who was dead for to whole two days was now waking up.all the vital signs seemed normal...eir, in all her long practice , has never seen anything like this.

Frigga placed her hand above Valera s energy points. they were normal.  
the half-elf slowly opened her heavy eyes only to be met with two women leaning over her.  
her body was still numb,so she was unable to move anywhere but, her skin regained its natural tone,which pleased her healers.the recovery was a rapid one .

and although,she tried to speak her throat was so very dry and every word was like a torment-"what has happened?um...why am i here?"  
adyssa who was standing behind, held her hands over her mouth.Valera is alive!this was to be a miraculous moment,but also a dangerous one... for her.

"you are in the healing room,Valera."-eir said to calm the girl down .this patient shall,undoubtedly be the one to remember for a lifetime.  
"can you recall what occurred?"  
"er...no.also ,my head...it hurts..."-her hand went to the very place where she hit it.  
"you were attacked."  
"what?why?"

adyssa raised her brow.has Valera lost her memory?

"sadly,we do not know.what is the last thing that you do remember?"  
"i..ah...last night s feast."

there were no feasts held for a long time now.

"my mother introduced us to the king..."  
the women exchanged looks.only adyssa was hiding her satisfaction.

"that was almost 5 months ago,my dear".

queen s words send cold shivers down Valera s spine.  
bewildered and in the mist,she asked-"five months,queen Frigga!?was i in a comma for five months?!"

"no,no,no...you were...asleep.. for two days..."  
adyssa had to take the opportunity while she can-"dearest all-mother,may i have a word with my beloved daughter...alone?if you don't mind."  
Frigga held her gaze on the elf.adyssa s eyes contained dark secrets and past.she was not the one to be trusted,especially not with Valera ,but the young woman cried out for her mother.

"very well,but not for too long.the girl needs to rest."  
\---------------------------------------------------------

in silence strict,but caring mother brushed the girl s  soft wavy locks .Valera s sad eyes were steady on her as she waited for the older woman to begin  with  her explanation.  
"what i am about to tell you,must stay within this walls.do you understand? no one,and i mean absolutely ,no one must know anything i am about it.,for it is a matter of life and death."  
"what is it mother.?"

"the person who attacked you...i know who it was..."

Valera sat up ,still feeling very weak but ...her mother knew and kept it to herself...why?why would she be so deceptive.why?

"it was one of the kings personal friends ..this warrior...fandral."

"fandral.."-that name was familiar.oh,yes..he was gazing at her r that night.and he seemed to be vulgar,but also kind,in away.he could not possibly..

"...and he forced himself upon you."

"what!? mother,no!please ,no!"  
"unfortunately so...you tried to run after that,but he killed you so he could maintain his freedom."

the crystal blue eyes were endlessly sad and watery.Valera pulled the covers up her neck and curled herself protectively.she was raped...

adyssa removed the hair from her face.

"now,now,dearest.there is no point in crying.what was done ,was done."  
"why...why haven't you told anyone ? he deserves to be ...punished!"

"you are engaged to a prince! and if he finds out that you were taken by another man...well...we cant risk now,when you are so close to this royal marriage."  
"i was attacked!"  
"lower your tone! i do fear that you may be with child.that flow of energy within your body has doubled...it may be cause of your bad state or truly ,you have conceived.thuss,you must act quickly.convince the prince Loki to marry your as soon as possible!"

"no,please...stop..i can not...i...i do not want to be touched by a man..!"  
adyssa s patience has run off.  
"you are beyond selfish.think of this life within you.the prospects of this union.you could have it all."  
Valera said nothing more,for there was no reason for it.her mother has made a decision in her name.she is to marry Loki.

 


	22. The Friend Of My Friend Is My...

what was the hardest part?to see a woman he has feelings for ...true feelings ...it could be something ever greater than that,actually...rejecting him,like he rejected many before her or to hear her being murdered?

  
this...to see her turning on her heels and storming away from him...what a cruel,indeed a cruel jest.  
when Valera was found in her forever-rest,fandral closed himself in his chambers and spent the most of the day drowning in liquor .there was no excuse good enough that he could he  come up with which would enable him only to see her.for he was only an acquaintance,a friend of the brother of the prince she was ,probably to marry one day.then few of his older lovers arrived,and the rest was a blackout...pure mist.it was not his fault that he woke in the afternoon the next day sprawled naked on his ruined bed ,unprepared for all this horror to be true.and then...the day after that-his prayers were answered-Valera ,has,by the power of the nors healed and she was fine.the attacker was not yet found,but he had his suspicions when Frigga bid farewell to her granddaughter on the biforst.this sudden trip included a large number of luggage.women would usually bring the whole room with them ,yes...but not hel...something was terribly amiss.

Thor only shrugged-"mother informed me of my niece.it is all,sadly too much for her.Loki s attitude towards her has changed,and now with lady Valera being discovered dead...the asgardians do talk...some of them do have poisonous tongues,my friend.and those vicious people blame her."  
"and you do not think...perhaps..."

Thor eyed him,not as friend,but as a ruler,a person of an authority-"fandral,you are not to end what you had in mind ,nor to repeat that thought ever again.my family is all too me,no matter even if our opinions go in the separate ways ...from time to time."

"forgive me."-fandral bowed his head.he should be more careful the next time.even though Thor ,most of the time seemed to be a perfectly harmless ,good hearted creature,he was a volcano waiting to erupt.to some that was tempting,but he...he knew when to stop.  
\--------------------------------------------------------  
he spotted Valera that very day in the gardens.she was recoloring some of the flowers using the old elvish way.she spoke to the plant spirits,and if they would allowed-the colors would change.that was immensity useful when it came to healing to sick plants,and not to mention for harvest.  
fandral turned both ways to evaluate how far are her maids,only to find them stealing the peaches further away.they have not seen him.  
he walked slowly ,not to disturb Valera,for her reactions were now...filled with panic,and unpredictable.

one daffodil just exchanged its bright yellow for the color of the sky,and Valera smiled widely,her cheeks taking the rosy tone,similar to the one of her lips.  
"i did preferred it the way it was.just as i do prefer...us,the way we were."

she froze,afraid to see her tormentor ,who stood few meters behind her.her silence weakened his legs.by the norns,what was in her that made him so...soft?  
"i can not imagine,what they have said to you,nor...what Loki did to you,but..."

"nothing! he did nothing to me! but you have...destroyed me !now leave or i shall scream!"  
"what have i done?!if it is marriage you desire,i was straight forward with you from the start,..!"

"how dare you?!i am to marry the prince,and...and if you ever approach me again,i..i ll say that you attacked me that night!"  
"you can not be serious,Valera!"  
she started walking backwards away from him,her crystal eyes radiating with hate and loathing.  
"guards! guards! help!"

fandral s mind took a moment to process what was going on,for this was not some jest ,as he original thought,this was something deeper.  
"alright!alright...i am leaving.."  
\-----------------------------------------------------  
the bottle was already half empty,a new record...he thought...  
a knock on the golden doors-one of his women wanted to enter ,but he predicted this and locked himself up,for tonight he ...yes,even he desired solace,and found it in solitude.

"oh he is not here.."-she frowned from outside ...

Loki won...he had to accept that...even though if Valera s mind does heal,..their paths were different-she hoped for stability and children,and he...well...he was an adventurer,living on the edge,from battle to battle...he was not the one for the routine.this room was becoming more and more claustrophobic...the walls were ,as if they were coming towards him,as if they were to close him within themselves.he simply could not stay here any longer.

fandral swiftly grabbed his bottle and went to the main balcony from which the whole Asgard could be seen...the mesmerizing view of the sunset and its thousands colors went on to eternity...it was breathtakingly beautiful and the gentle breeze was clashing with his drunkenness...which only made his head feel like a drum.

his blue eyes dropped bellow onto the gardens again...and his attention was pulled in by the sight of the couple that sat in front of the pond. that serpent Loki with her...the silver-tongue kissed her hand and she shivered ..from what ? an excitement? anger? surprise? no,it must have been fear...Loki was unnatural...a jotun who knew well what powers to choose and use to control others...maybe he was the one who hit her that night,solemnly for this purpose.maybe he knew of their affair !?

oh,oh that lying ,blaspehimic freak!  
fandral kicked the wall in front of him ...although it was not as audible as it could be,Valera saw him.they held each others gazes for a second ,and then she walked over her shyness and kissed her fiancee passionately.Loki almost flinched ,not expecting this at all.almost.  
however,that was the final straw for her ex lover.  
two can play that game ,jotun scum!  
\--------------------------------  
Thor had to leave the tray with the large peace of cheese,the meat and grapes, when his restless friend run in , and jumped on that chair,almost falling from it.  
Thor continued to chew ,but was observing his new company.

" i would offer you a drink ,fandral ,but it is clear that you have had more that enough of it .something ails you."

"something ,indeed...Thor...i...i wish to marry."

Thor was glad that he just swallowed a second ago,for he would choke to death now.

"you...you what!?is this some sort of a jest,for i do not know who to interpret it."

"no..no...it is not.you see...for a long time now, i have had deep feelings for young hel.i do believe her be the one who can equalize me in my...actions."  
the other man s features darkened to that.

"oh,i mean,she is the right person to tie me down.if you allow it,that is."

"my niece,hel?absolutely not! she is,but 1400 years old! you could be her father!"  
Thor was now unnerved and had to calm his nerves with another gulp of the strong musplehimer wine."

fandral licked his lips."Thor ...she shall be 1500 soon,and besides..she did say that she loves me on a few occasions."  
the bearded man leaned closer,almost threatening.  
"is that so?"

well,that truly was so.the young king could remember his devilish niece running around the handsome warrior and trying to sit on his lap,giggling mischievously .he smiled ...she was always so jelous when he was surrounded by other women...it seems that her temper depended on the amount of the attention he would gave her.

 

fandral saw Thor s childish expression and grant himself the courage he needed to continue:"i give you me word,Thor,that i shall be a good husband to hel,and no harm shall come to her.in fact ,i do fear she could be the death of me."

Thor laughed-"that much is true!she is as spirited as you are!and i do find you two to be a good match in the end.!your arguments are good..."  
"do we have your blessing then?"  
"you do,my friend ,you do!

 

 

.                            

                                                                                           


	23. The Clash...

who would bet that the city of Asgard would be both repulsed by this abomination and yet...officially,and in front of their beloved king,they were pouring only the best wishes for this new couple.the perfect picture ,and the way Asgard was being represented to the other realms...there were absolutely no indications that there could be a bigger interest for something so indescribably trivial.

the main news were those from the last week.those idly citizens of the realm above realms just could not get enough of the show that made them feel better about themselves.talking negatively about the others does lifts their spirits.and in the time,when they are not endangered by anyone except one another,well...any scandal coming from the royal court was mostly welcome.

what was the crown event of the last week?oh,even the phoenixes on the branches knew...the messenger spread the word that the shiny lord fandral shall marry the recent queen of nifelheimr and princess of Asgard,Loki s daughter hel.of course,of course...the open minded men and women found that...lets just say...ur...tacky,shall we?alright,the versions of why would he be doing something beyond any reasonable judgement were numerous...hel bewitched him.it was simply and plane...for everyone knew of her feelings towards him.

fandral wanted the throne ,in this way or the other,and this was the quickest and safest path.and hel is already a ruler.of some sort.  
or.... fandral and Loki -were vastly known as rivals in all,including love.so when Loki proposed to Valera,well ,the blond warrior set to get his revenge...and who better than hel?

also there were words that the young hel is with child and that it is an obligation,or more of a ...push from the side of the king ,to fandral, to marry his little niece...

on that windy day,the raven haired prince went on the balcony of his own quarters ,only to hear those glad tidings.he went utterly mad and appeared in fandral s room.  
fandral had few women sleeping with him ,but when Loki screamed:"out,you wenches !now!i need to have a word with this fool!" the scarred women dressed quickly and run into the hallway ,still half naked.an angered prince was not a person to be testing his patience with .Loki snapped his head back to fandral who swiftly pulled on his pants and was now buttoning his shirt.

"what is all this about,Loki?"-his eyes were half closed and he was unsteady on his legs.drunk as always.

the prince s green eyes counted 10 both empty and some half empty bottles on the floor and on the bed.but 10,in overall.

"you and...hel?! is this true? i demand an answer from you,...you coward!"

"coward?me??hahaha now,why would i be a coward...as i recall,hel was not so oppose to this.and i received a letter,and from her. where she ,actually accepts my proposal.if you wish,i could bring it to you,so that you may,see it for yourself ."

Loki lifted his arms and the green smoke that formed behind the other man,wrapped itself around his neck,squeezing it tightly.

fandral was lifted few inches from the ground ,struggling for his bare life,but the green magic was stronger by far.

"you are a coward for touching her!she is still too young and inexperienced.and you...you took advantage of this! however,i know perfectly well your motives...do you by,any means ,find me to be an imbecile?"

"n...no...i never laid my finger on her!let me...go..."

even though Loki s eyes glowed with an evil glow he lowered his arms and the man fell on his knees.loki had hoped that they would broke,but unfortunately for him,that did not occurred.

while fandral was catching his breath ,Loki leaned over him:"why should i believe you?and even if it is true ,l i shall never let you marry her!"

fandral coughs:"it is not your decision to make!and besides...you...you are a coward...attacking me...like a woman...with the seidr...why don't you fight like a man?"

Loki s fist punched his pretty face.a truly unexpected act.fadral s was both shocked and impressed.

"i wanted not to get my clothes soiled with your pitiful blood.but if you insist..."  
the prince took few steps back ,giving the other one some space.

fandral smiled and rose on his feet, searching for his sword...usually ,the women would take it...for the memory,but this time,the tip was peering from beneath the bed.  
"i have never seen this side of you Loki. this should be fun.don't you agree?"

Loki has already manifested a sword of his own ,and smiled back:"there are many things you do not know about me,you disease spreader, and trust me, i wanted to do this for a long long time.."

ever since he had stolen Christine...or Valera back then...

 

 

 

        

 

  
........................................  
the servant girl that was to clean lord fandral s chambers,and...occasionally something more, heard the two men yelling at each other...and the sounds of swords clashing.the doors were closed for good,thanks to Loki s spell.the keyhole was her only way to witness what is going on,on the inside.the sight was alarming,and she run straight to the queen Frigga .

Frigga who was drinking her fruit juice was fairly frightening when the girl told her what she saw :":A fight,milady...the prince and lord fandral...they are fighting to the death.."  
"oh no...i must call my son!"  
\---------------------------------------------------  
fnadral was great warrior...and Loki was only appreciated as great sorcerer,but ,even if he was not as strong as fandral...he was intuitive,and he would predict any of ones moves...  
and now,when his enemy was trapped  in the corner ,confused and with the bloody head...and the only thing that it takes right  now is this one swing ...just one....

where was William in this?Loki had that grin on.that victorious grin.he was not only glorious int his little battle,but also in the moral one with William...that righteous pathetic fool was slowly fading away...  
what he was not expecting was that he would be interrupted in this killing.the mjolnir broke the doors and Loki s sword in two.  
"no!i was so close!"-Loki whispered


	24. Wedding Day Vs Wedding Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry,will edit in the morning.

Thor tried ,or rather ,wanted to sympathize with his brother.he could imagine how he would feel exasperated in Loki s position ,where his only female child is to be wed off to a man of such a reputation.but ,maybe that was her only chance of happiness...let us not,disillusion ourselves...those who would gaze upon her for the very first time ,would experience quite a shock. and,the young king was sad for her.he was a king first,and son,brother and uncle second.he never found the valuable time to be closer or better to his nice.he only knew of her wishes when she would spoke in his presence.and she did claim fandral.

and his free spirited friend ,as Thor hoped ,would,perhaps slow his tempo down when finds a woman,or in this case ,a girl who could put up with his shenanigans.

many things ,in this world made little sense sometimes,to Thor,and so,he as an ever- optimist believed that this two could and would be happy together.  
and if something will not be not right,like fandral breaking hel s heart,well then,he would deal with his flirtatious friend ,himself.

few months ago,more or less,out of a jest,the warrior did wrote to the queen of nifelheimr,and she responded back within the same day.  
he was not significantly surprised that she said yes.hel was lonely and spiteful.as was he.this marriage was to be farce,but that shall remain their little secret,for those who need to think otherwise,now have the opportunity to go through the same pain  themselves.

Frigga desperately searched for the answers,for visions of the future to come... nothing.as if the norns did not listen to her pleas.she spent many nights in the temple clearing her mind...but nothing ,simply nothing was shown...only darkness...normally,she could not but ,to fear of the worst.  
she saw ,on the  numerous occasions ,as her second son shifts between his personalities...from quiet and stoic William,to a dangerous dark eminence.

perhaps ...if she separates all of them,she shall avoid any more confrontations...perhaps... so she spoke to her oldest son. Thor listened and frowned,but she persuaded him to " allow" fandral and hel to return to  the nifelheimr ,and on the day after the one ,one which ,the marriage is to be held..

... if they do stay,who is to know,what shall be? the darkness,she reminded herself...but the darkness was already here ...and not only within the flying fortress.  
the castle made of gold,was a sight similar to the venom in the blood ,for this creature ,who hid within the mountains.his task was..of course,not to be discovered so that he may send news to his own realm.  
\------------------------------------------------------------------

behind the black doors,ornamented with the golden runes, no one was allowed.no one.there were already to many voices on the battlefield,that was his mind.Loki took deep breaths.he had to remember that this was a different time line,and that he arrived here as a more complete and more forgiving soul.a soul that should not be distracted ...he must not let his instincts get the best of him.hel was not his anymore,as much as he yearned for...no!focus, William!

...if this was the way to destroy the bond ,that he shared with his daughter, then so be it.this ...fandral...shall be her own mistake.sooner or later the world would fall on her back...it happens to all of us.so,the sooner she matures,the better.he could sense her wrapping her hands around him,and the sweet scent of her nocturnal hair...  
"William..."-Loki said-"who said that your love for hel is wrong?"  
William didn't even deigned to respond.fuck the other one...Loki was not teasing,for there was sadness in his tone,but he was an idiot...his own daughter...it was too much with Lydia,who was too young,but this...  
\-----------------------------------------------------

 

another cynicism coming from Thor,and even though he was not aware of the stupidity of his own doings.which made the whole situation only more humoristic.  
two marriages on the same day.and,at the same time...  
the sea of people gazed upon the four figures,that faced the grandiose throne.  
Frigga could not hide her worries,so she stood as far from them as she managed.almost melting with the curtains.

loki and Valera and hel and fandral were a main attraction of the week.to feel so many eyes on them...it was quite unpleasant.and to the three of them disgusting.fandral was another thing.  
the both men wore their armors, while the women were dressed according to the tradition of alfheimr and nifelheimr.  
hel was in a silver and grey gown that covered her dramatic features and Valera wore a light blue wedding gown with falling crystals beads.  
while Loki spoke his vows in his deep ,smooth voice ,he kept looking at hel,as so did she, when it was her turn.her eyes passed fandral....her father was hurt.and her heart felt it.

he replied"i beg of you ,do not do this."  
her thoughts were hard to control:"it is too late now..."

  
the person who felt their  what just occurred, was Frigga.but she could do nothing about it.  
the ceremony was over as fast as it begun.now was the time for the feast.  
\------------------------------------  
hel waited in her new room. a large double bed on which  end she was now sitting , was decorated with crimson rose petals .her new husband should arrive any minute ...she was telling herself for an indeterminate period of time....to pass the hours ,hel brushed her hair few times...perfumed herself....changed few of her night gowns,although, that part would not matter, really.she was actually nervous,for this should be her first time.

but she was not feeling like she is ready to give herself yet.not even to fandral.the panic was creeping in.for a second ,she wanted to run,but then,she calmed herself. it was only normal.this type of behavior ...before turning from a girl into a woman...this shall all pass,and one day she will laugh how silly she was. and this new bed...it was undoubtedly soft...she smiled at the feeling that she was lying on a cloud.she thought about having children...and how would they look like...the visions of them having her features made her cover her eyes ,even when they already were closed and she got confused and...angry.from waiting,from feeling this new weight of marriage on her shoulders...and...from what her father might be doing now...

 

  
\--------------------------  
Loki and Valera had not spent that nigh together,as one would expected.

hel was not the only bride to wait.lady Valera also waited for her new spouse ,but since he had not arrived,she has fallen asleep.

meanwhile,the  two newly husbands had a silent contest regarding who will drink more,or rather yet ,stay away from their lovely wives.  
Thor embraced them,too tightly,yelled,cheered,now and then and was babbling about how merry this day is for him...for him...to see his close friend becoming a better man...haha,and his dear brother finally opening his heart to another.but Loki didn't listen,those words were lost in the air...he was just analyzing his opponent across the table.fandral,who was smirking all the night,refusing to properly look the prince in the eyes.but feeling his gaze upon him.  
Loki clenched his fists to the point of true pain.the thought of this man touching hel was putting him into the state of madness again.he could not stay there any more.he had anticipated that Valera would sleep when he arrives and he was right.she was ...he covered her with the white woolen blanket and left the room.he shall sleep on the couch tonight,but before he is to close his large eyes,he whispered a small spell....a small spell with a  larger effect...a spell that made fandral crave for that busty read head that poured him more wine.  
\--------------------------------------  
hel jumped from her bed...finally ...he husband was back...but,he was not alone.  
"fandral..what is this?"  
"oh,pardon me ,for my rudeness,hel.this is...um what is your name,love?"  
"myrtha,"-she grinned only too widely...her breast bouncing as she paced around the room,like she owns it.  
"oh ,yes...that's right.."-he scratched his head .

hel marched to this self-indulging woman,and pushed her with all her strength.  
"get out!"  
the man who smelled of mead and other, interrupted,actually enjoying the scene:"what are you doing hel?myra was polite,i do not know what is the problem..?"

maybe he only imagined the thunders coming out of his little wife-"what is the problem,you ask?!this is...our wedding night,and you brought in this whore!how dare you?i have been waiting for you for hours !and for what?!"

"hahahaha,do not jest little one.this marriage is nothing more than a charade.as we agreed.and besides, i do not share a bed with silly girls .what i need is a...woman."  
hel s face dropped,as his arm went behind the redhead s neck and stopped on her bare shoulder.  
they passed the pale girl as if she does not exist.

"my room is-here...oh yes,the first guess and i was right hahaha."  
"so, myra,would you like to drink something..?"  
"the name is myrtha,and yes...i would."


	25. Ignorance Is A Blessing...

hel s cried out eyes were something she did not cover with make up,nor desired to do so.she wanted for everyone to see that her wedding night was for some reason an utter disaster.Loki held her head close to his heart as he walked her to the biforst .they were to bid farewell to each other.it was suppose to be joyful moment,but it was the opposite.she was to go back to the land without the sun.she and ...her husband.

  
when the newlyweds dissapeared in the light of a thousand colors,Loki knew he had lost a piece of himself.Valera and Frigga saw the instant change in his appearance ,from refined and distanced to grim and split between everything and everyone.Loki wore so many masks that they were now living a life of their own.as if he was unable to control his demeanor anymore. Frigga took  Valera s hand into her own soft one.the women shared a moment of mutual understanding and melancholy.Frigga glanced at her poor son s figure that still stared into the space.neither their marriage seemed to be heading the right way.she will have more on her hands than she predicted.she is to do whatever it takes to help them allto  find ,at least a grain of happiness.but it shan't be easy.the trip back to the castle was suffocatingly quiet.

  
\-----------------------------------------------------  
there was no feeling that the months ,sharp as daggers that cut the skin,were passing ...but they ,indeed were. hel spent them being tutored and adjusting to the claustrophobic duties she had as a queen.for,fandral was not around..no,he had a freedom to go as he pleases,not only outside the palace,but also the entire realm.upon the second day of their arrival,he concluded that he had enough of the darkness,corpses,and sounds of tormented ones. so he,without much words,took solemnly his sword ,climbed on the hill next to the river and called out for heimdal.and she,of course found out about it after ,and from her servants.

he had chose to visit this small realm of midgard.it was a wise decision,you see,for no one would search  him there.it was beneath any dignity an aesir had. his destination was the north of the Europe.the local villagers saw this mighty strong bright light that split the skies ,and the tall blond man who appeared at it s end .this was no man.they knew who he was.

they run to him ,instead of running from him and threw themselves in front of his feet, cheering;"Thor!Thor!"  
he,almost fit in the description of their tales and legends,and he has arrived to bless their lands and bring upon them wealth and  
glorious victories over their enemies.the word was spread faster than the plague.he was among them!

fandral,could not but to laugh his heart out.oh,this shall be fun.this commoners assumed he is the god of thunder himself.hahaha..and the women...well,they truly were eager to "worship" their god.he barely ever planed anything,and now...yes,he had to admit this to himself and to the world...mentally,of course,that this was shameful.his attitude towards his wife was shameful,hypocritical and ...was not the fastest way to the gates of Valhalla,but it was for hel s own good.she is still young.this is his way to protect her from being harmed by him and to learn ,atthis age that the men are not to be trusted.he actually did her a favor.she shall understand,and thank him...hopefully...one day...  
\----------------------------------  
after 6 months...or more...she lost the count.... of watching her pale face, that contained betrayal upon betrayal others did her ,and by the time she has lost all of her self esteem ,and finally embraced that she is forever to be doomed alone...he returned.just like that.

that morning,that black morning with no moon to guide ones path,a morning like any other...the doors squeaked.she didn't even bother to turn her head to see who it was.it could only be dear otr ,arriving to preach her how lazy she is.

"my young queen, your subjects are waiting.you have a lot of business to attend to.and after that ,the lecture in mathematics and anatomy of the soul."

the routine made her numb...and drained her perky energy from within...she matured too fast,too soon...at the equivalent of the midgardian 15 years ...  
what did awaken her ,upon this diem was the silence...otr would start talking right ahead,but...no,silence.  
she moved a bit ,so that the mirror might speak for itself.it was  him...fandral looked healthy enough,but also he had his head bowed.was he...ashamed?

"hello, hel."-he said quietly.  
she grabbed an iron candlestick,from aside of the mirror and threw it his way.he was lucky enough to duck and exit the room in time.  
\---------------------------------  
two days after the whole reunion incident,and in the meantime ,when she forbade the servants to let that heretic to use her chambers, the letter from Asgard surprised them all .they were,both to attend as soon as possible.  
\------------------------------  
the doors tall as a five store house spread their wings,and the girl in black and the man in copper and silver met those,who they left behind.  
the both sides were radiating with some changes from inside and outside.  
what struck the little queen was the bright princess of Asgard.Valera wore her feather light dress that placed her large round belly in the forefront.  
fandral bit his tongue.and it was evident that he shall smile less today.  
Loki measured his daughter.hel has grown-she was little no more.much taller,still thin,but he figure was more of those of a young woman,but a boy.  
there was this deforming dividation inside the asgardain prince...what Loki wanted was oppose to what William was willing to let him put into reality.Loki s needs were crystal clear...to touch to feel...to love...to have..  
"mine...she is mine!she forever was and forever shall be!"  
the green seidr was surging towards the surface and William had to fight this,and to do so,he turned this body and with a short excuse left the hallway.  
what each of them thought or felt was needles to say.for,we all know them well enough.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------

  
hel lifted her eyes and softly smiled...she forgot how to smile,really...and while this family breakfast was to be associated to a funeral,she took some luxury to soak up all the aromas and scents that were non exiting in the eternal night.oh,how the flowers from the gardens were rich and beautiful...there were no adequate words to describe them.in nifelheimr nothing grew...it only decayed...for  centuries...the trees...the grass...there were no smells ...if we do not include the one of the dust .

Loki never took his eyes of his daughter...her diet remained the same ,the blood...so,she was not with child.good.his muscles relaxed a bit...not a day went by,that he did not craved to go out there to her...a shift on the chair next to  his,snapped him out of his illusions .he was married to this stunning rose of the realm of the elves.and she was with child.his child.  
hel traced his thoughts,and closed her eyes...she will not cry...and she will tell no one,not even Frigga how bad her marriage truly is.how incompetent she is to keep a man for herself...and yet,this very definition of her opposition...this fairy...could have anyone...

despite ,her husband being sometimes frightening and dark,to her he was mostly tender and understanding .but Valera feared the day when the child is to be born...was the child Loki s or...

"...the child could be mine.."-fandral scanned his former lover...  
"what have they done to her?both her mother and that snake twisted her mind,and made a puppet out of her,and now ...we all are miserable..."

Thor ,who either didn't notice the thick atmosphere around the table ,or ,for the sake of peace ,pretended he didn't,was unusually  secretive for once.and he found himself to be  far from a simpleton...  
he was aware that to be married is both a blessing and a curse,and this four of his closest ones ,must put an effort to walk on the path of the blessing.

"why are we here?"-his niece was the first to speak.almost arrogantly.Frigga saw through her bitterness,for this was her transparent mask to help her breath.  
all eyes were on the king,but they were thankful for her breaking the ice.

Thor nodded to all of them..."my family...for now,we all are a family..."-he was almost cold and unlike himself...  
"i received an invitation from svartalheimr...."

he looked at his mother...she was on the edge of tears...if her first born only know what had happen in another reality...if he only knew...she begged him to listen to her and decline this trap...but he wanted to impress his father...who, he believed, is in Valhalla...

"svartalheimr...but...that is a waste land...there is not a living soul there!"

"oh,but,my friend ...it seems that the dark elves have went ,some centuries ago, underground and rebuilt their cities ...and laws. from a scratch.and ,now they wish to state the therms of their surrender to the Asgard.this way our borders shall expand and there shall be a truce signed and sealed."

"my son!you can not believe them! why were they hiding for centuries ,if not for some devious agenda?"  
Loki went to her side;"mother is right!we see further than you...and this can not end well...let their ambassadors visit our realm,if they dare!"

"i appreciate your care brother,but i called  all of you ...today,to hear what i have decided upon the matter.i accepted lord s...mror s invitation,for the dark elves can not stand our light.and you will rule while i am gone.if something does happen to me,then you all shall be safe here."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> what could possibly go wrong?


	26. One Shall Perish,The Other Shall Be Born

that day was rapidly approaching and it was a curse upon the lips of all the citizens of the realm.drunk in their comfort and wealth,they all were blinded with the idea that there was no threat left ...especially not the realm of the dark elves.but ,the forsaken ones counted on that.after king bor defeated them and destroyed their cities and lands...they withdrew to their underground catacombs and created an empire ...the energy that provided them with what was needed ,was the one of darkness itself.they have recently chose mror to lead them against Asgard.at first they were prepared for the classical battle,but asgardians made them raise their brows in the suspicion of how can the Yggdrasil be dominated by group of such an ...imbeciles...asgadians cared little about contributing to the knowledge ,and art...they would either exist to conquer and kill or make feasts.not necessarily in that order..and that was an enchanted circle...mror grinned exposing the sharpness of his pearly white teeth...;  
"the norns have smiled upon us.the Asgard is led by a careless king,who is not fit to wear his fathers boots....perhaps we should invite him over?"  
\-------------------------------------

yet,this time,Thor was not eager to be careless.in fact this was a test of his own will power and leadership.now was the time to prove himself to his father ,who watched him from the afterlife.he has never encountered the dark elves before,for they were known to be extinct ,so the young king s knowledge of this strange race was...minimum.

the only trusted swere the stories from those who participated in that great war...once ,he would nod and accepted all that was told,but Loki was there to show him that each story has two sides.normally,a warrior such as Thor thought his brother to be soft and almost too woman like,but the wise dark prince dragged Thor among the parts of Asgard that were far from marvelous and golden.the lands were people were truly poor...Thor was speechless...then Loki used his invisibility spells to show Thor what was left behind...behind Thor s all powerful army and their conquests...nothing...ruin and burned homes...children without parents ,diseases and sometimes even...cannibalism.

  
"barbaric!"-the larger man gasped.the smaller one placed his hand on other s shoulder.

  
"why are you calling them barbarians?who is responsible of this monstrosity?"

  
this was not a way of the aesirs,and no matter how much would he like to shut his eyes to the results of his own...victories...Thor was actually admitting his own...defeat.

 

now he stormed through the hundreds of books that could  contain anything about this race...although any true information was mainly subjective and described their appearance and...without any doubt ,the victory of Asgard. he had to come out with a strategy ,if the truce fails,so he gathered his most trusted friends and commanders in the map room where he displayed a large card of the wasteland ,trying to figure out where and how to place his warriors.just in case...

the cold scent of dawn filled his nostrils...Loki pushed himself froward and quickly run his eyes of emerald across the map of desert.  
"here!"-he said putting the long pale finger on that one point.there was water centuries ago.my guess is that they live in some colonies in the caves under the surface."

Thor pursed his lips...  
"you are onto something,Loki.i do agree with you.everyone else?"

volstagg,sif ,who never got Thor to propose her,and hogun were also there.they nodded in agreement...Loki being a sorcerer was not relevant now.his mind could penetrate the ones of the enemies and his theories were often correct.thus ,the reservations this three had to their friend s younger brother were left aside.

"Thor...brother"-this was the first time he called the other man like this...  
"i shall be there with you,no matter what you said.we do not know their number,and.."

hel s runaway husband stood on the other side of the king,avoiding Loki s eyes:"i am to stand by you on the sands of svartalheimr myself."

"enough!"-those two...as if they were fighting for his love,like children.Thor thought.  
"fandral...even ,you are married,and to my niece nevertheless,you are not a father,and i shall allow you to accompany me in this mission."

he made a blank expression when he addressed Loki :"but you...brother...you are to stay here and keep that castle safe.you are my only kin,except of mother .and you are to take my place rightfully."  
William felt the sting...why should others die,if he can provide his assistance and ,perhaps avid the bloodshed?  
"i...i,...but!"  
"no,buts !the realm must be safe under any cost.and it must have a king! at all costs."  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------  
when the ships were leaving Asgard,Loki was not among those to watch the sight.no ,he was on the top floor where the ground was lost under the clouds.he was to became father again.and he trembled with excitement and shock and love towards this child...he will know if one of his sons are born again.oh,to see them again...any of them...

his instructions to the maids were that this is to be discrete and that no one should be informed of it.this included fandral,of course.hel was taken aback.having much younger brother or sister was not appealing to her heart.another emotion she shared with her father was to be erased,or given to that new creature.she hid in her chambers and covered herself with the sheets...but left the windows widely open...the ships , now far in the distance were like a birds with spreaded wings melting with the fire of the suns.

why did she whispered;"goodbye..."

and to whom..?  
but somehow she knew..one person close to her will not come back.otr did explained that her powers shall increase.in a sense,she is to predict ones death..but she never gave it a though...  
her sadness speaking through her...nothing more..nothing more...  
.......................................................................................  
the prince gently kissed his wife s forehead.Valera,was having a heavy dream.too tired to enter the real world.having such a large child was inexplicably dangerous.the labor prolongated itself for days.  
she needed her rest desperately...for the very first time,Christine...  
"Valera!"-Loki corrected William...  
-gave him a child and he was to be present in his sons life.the healer was rocking the baby wrapped in a mountain of blankets.  
when Loki gave her a questioning look,she apologized saying that the child s temperature was very low.

  
"he is half jotun,you feeble-minded fool!now give him to me!"  
that was Loki snapping...he pushed William deeper inside,for he already felt the familiar energy of this little boy.  
after removing the white alfheimer s wool from the small face ,his sweets suspicions were proven to be true.  
they smiled one to another:"hello ,Lucien."

                                                                                                            


	27. The Casket...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> what was in the casket the last time?

the massive and impressive army of warriors in gold and red , led by their sun king ,walked across the grey desert.the strong wind was wiping their tracks and attacking their eyes, noses and ears with dust...it was not as cold as it seemed at first.yet,there was this unpleasant sensation of the fear from the unknown...perhaps... from their own inner voices of wisdom ,which were constantly repeating;"go back...turn around while you still can."

this debate was also inside the person responsible for the lives of many.of all of them.and Thor hated...hated when something was unclear,foggy...his mind on one side,his heart on another.like the members of the court..throwing arguments and offensive words....however, the final decision was his alone .concerned about his men,and for their sake ,he showed no signs of weakness.no matter how invincible he appeared,he did take an advice from his brother...a diversion...use a diversion,Loki said. a smaller group,the one under fandral s lead, was to stay hidden behind the rocks, one mile to the south.they are,either, to aid them,or run for their lives...

Thor stopped at the agreed location,his men followed his act. as a cue,the sand in front of them opened it s wide mouth and from the deeps of the underground kingdom,one of the dark elves ,climbed to the surface. he bowed as his white eyes studied the quantity of the armed men around him,and Thor instinctively felt that this creature was not the one to be trusted.

"greetings, my lord....and welcome to svartalheimr."

"who are you,elf?"-Thor didn't miss that those whites were gazing upon that mighty hammer in his hand,so he slightly lifted it,and the svartalheimrer quickly turned his attention to the king himself.as it should be.

"i am to be your translator.sadly...as it is...but most of my countrymen do not speak your language.many of them have never even been on the surface...the light..."

-there was barely some light at all,but Thor said nothing,letting the creature know that he shall not be misled by trivialization or the irrelevant (hi)story.

"and where is your king?"

"we do not have kings...only leaders..."

"and... this leader of yours...mror...where is he?"

the elf looked bellow ,to the darkness...

"unfortunately,his eyes can not stand to be here,so if you wish to speak to him,you must come with me, into our palace."

"i have come to sign a pact of no violence and bring the long desired peace between the realms.and any kind of a game,from your side,or a side from your leader shall not be tolerated!just so that you have that in mind,elf!"

"oh,no,no...of course not...we,svartlheimrers are honest people.we do wish for peace..."

Thor forwarded his non verbal question to the captain of the guard.the man nodded for the continuation of the procedure,but they both knew that foremostly,they are to b cautious.

"very well then.show us the way."

"most certainly,my lord."-the asgardian had that foul taste in his mouth when something was moving from bad to worse...and he had it now.this albino being was as crafty as a poisons . serpent...and that grin of his...Thor only tightened the grip on his mjolnir.

"do not let me down,my friend."-he thought.

"but...before we enter-ignite the torches!"

the other one was surprised by this demand.he heard Thor was not so insightful,but he bowed and clapped his hands.the flames appeared and exposed a long hallway and stairs leading far far far bellow... when the king and few of his men entered and started going down,the gates were shut above them with a loud and heavy sound of metal.and the flames were gone.

Thor immediately invoked the lightning and the mjolnir vibrated and shook from the electricity ...Thor s command was that she needs to liberate them,and the hammer heard it.she broke the gates and flied high to the skies...the men run towards the weak light from the hole that mjolnir created , but then the invisible shield kept them from getting out. not even Thor s fists could penetrate or broke the barrier...and the hammer was nowhere in sight.where is she?mjolnir always returns to her master!

"we were counting on that,king Thor...your little weapon is not much for the absorbing power of the darkness that has captured her when she left the catacombs.but,we do plan on infiltrating it within your hammer...imagine what it could do to Asgard ?Asgard being defeated with it s own most powerful weapon! i do thank you for giving us,such a ...precious piece of art."-the hissing voice of their translator was teasing their senses.it was not possible to know from where it was coming from.

"you deceiving snake!you will cognize the power of Asgard and the punishment that shall fall on your back!now,i command you to let us leave!"

"hahaha,indeed... you are a pathetic,vain little king.your men outside shall not see another dawn...including those you left on the south.we have dealt with them firstly."

"no!"-Thor swung his fist towards the voice ,but missed anything or anyone. the translator laughed,once more.

"what do you want!? "-Thor was now sounding a bit...desperate...

"a revenge of course.an eye for an eye.a realm for a realm."

"your miserable kingdom shall never,never conquer Asgard.and the only revenge shall be the one of Asgard s !"

"may that be so,king of fools,but i was chosen by my people and i shall ,at lest try to restore the glory we once had.the glory your grandfather has stolen from us!"

"you are mror?"

"i am."

 

 

 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

Thor s footsteps were muted by the malevolent winds only few days ago,but the ones of the prince,who nervously paced in the throne room echoed like thunders.it made him only think of his non-brother more. there were no words from him...the rumors that covered the realm were inevitable .his...his people...by, the norns ,he was not ready to be a king yet...perhaps he shall never be ...the people of Asgard were now turning to him,both for answers and ...decisions....should they attack svartalheimr?

indeed...should they?

the indications were going in that direction.and everyone was affected by this...mortal fear.even Frigga had nightmares...she saw her son s army drowning in the river of their own blood...after that,there was not way of appeasing her for hours...

and his daughter ,hel ...she was got some kind of a fever...paler then ever ...burning with coldness....ranting something...some names...but, it was not a fever at all...it was the awareness of those who entered to nifelheimr ...those were their names...

...both,to help the girl and forget about her own turmoil,Frigga was by her side...washing her sweaty forehead with a cloth previously dipped in the warm water...

"hel...how many of the new souls have entered your kingdom?"

hel mumbled something...the older woman needed to move closer to hear her words...

"thousands...thousands of aesirs... "

Loki was standing there...the whole time...while his mind an heart and soul were gone to the time and place where he could be with hel without any consequences...he was in the furthest corner away from her...protecting her and himself from...himself...  
if hel s visions are true...then ...

"Thor is in danger... i must go there!"-while he was  turning on his heel, Frigga caught his hand..  
"no...you have endanger yourself...the last time...do you not remember? William...Asgard must not stand alone ...not this time ,not now!"  
she invoked William from his temporarily dungeon..-today Loki surrendered ...tomorrow...who knows...but today,he will stay.  
...............................................................  
it was after midnight when a guard collapsed in the gardens of the palace...the other ones rushed to bring him to the healers room.Loki and Frigga were immediately informed of this.  
"what happened?!"  
the green eyed prince asked the wounded man.  
"my...my lord...the king...we could not save him...he vanished into the darkness..they..."-the blood poured from his mouth..  
"the trap...mror...is arriving...they let me go,so that i may deliver the message..."  
"and ...the others?!"  
"all dead sire ..."  
\------------------------------------  
the guard died few minutes after that...when the healer covered him with a cloth,an another guard ,hardly breathing ,as if he was running, entered .  
he almost forgot himself,that he should bow to the one of a royal blood...his eyes were wide...  
"apologies,my prince,but.."  
"what...?"  
"the dark elves... they have left something in the gardens,along with Einar.it seems...he was not the only message..."  
"for goodness sake,man!what have they left?"  
"the casket,my lord.."

Loki knew....


	28. Post Mortem

"mmmmmmmm .... exquisite.i have be missing you...old friend..."

that wine from her native region,back in alfheimr , was the only bottle she packed before arriving here.Valera,up till now had her voice in one thing and one thing only-she was against her mother s drinking.oh,that stupid daughter of hers.what does she know?adyssa was an enophile...a true lover of a good wine.with her very sensitive and delicate taste, she was to divide brilliant wines from those of a lesser quality.she had to tried few of them to do so,of course,but this one...Arwenamin (my lady) ..this one made all those brilliant ones to shine as much as the rocks,...this one contained the very essence of nectar.

"mother... you...are you drinking again?"  
oh ,that s right.adyssa took within her privilege to spend her time in the royal chambers when Loki was out.she was clever enough no to disturb her son-in-law.as she would never admit,but yes...she was afraid of his ...moods.let Valera deal with that.her excuse ,the one she spread among the courtiers,was mostly acceptable by all...the princess s mother is to look out for the young prince Lucien.she was his grandmother after all,and her love towards the youngling could not be ignored.they thought her to be very admirable and self-sacrificial woman.

Valera would sometimes bit her lips to the point before bleeding.how transparent it was! adyssa sacrificing herself for someone else besides her?!  
what she did was to yell at the nurse who ,was the one to replace the weakened young mother,and then she would tell the maids how incompetent they are ..and ,in the end when she would chase them off ...the cross would fall upon Valera s back .

"look at you...how could you let yourself go so much...you strike me as nothing more than a stepped over rose...drained ,rotting... the prince most be pleased with your performance in bed,either he would banish you from his chambers and found himself a courtesan."  
"mother i gave birth not a week ago!"

valera was sleeping the for most of the day,she lost a lot of blood giving birth to a jotun...thus,the last subject on her mind was her appearance.the strictness that radiated from adyssa would not forgive her that.

"no!you keep him satisfied and he shall give you what you want.like that necklace for instance!"  
the always decorated mother of hers pointed that accusing finger to the very gift Loki placed upon her bed on the day Lucien arrived.then she was not entirely conscious ,so she behold at this pearls and lace knitted silver the very next day.

"if you desire it so badly,dear mother...then please...feel free to take it permanently.i am giving it to you gladly."

adyssa gasped and feigned a shock;"no...he presented you with that.it would be unbecoming if i.."  
oh how light and yet great was the light coming from this pearls...thought the elf woman while turning this piece of an expensive jewellery over and over in her hands.

since it is all it takes to distract the other person...something rare and shiny,Valera was heading back to her room...

"you are not needed here mother,please leave..i wish to retire."  
"this are my chambers as much they are yours.remember ..."  
"yes..i am aware that you are the one to be praised for me marrying Loki.thank you.now please ..go..."

that was two or three days ago....  
.............................................................................................................................

counting that the young princess is still in bed,adyssa leisurely placed her feet on the couch and decided to devour every last drop of the green wine.she ,a loving and caring mother could not count for her daughter s support...unfortunately,not even the peace .Valera was the burden for the eternity.

"there is but one rule here...and that is...no consummation of ... arwenamin?you drink that only when you are celebrating ...tell me...what is it now?for,you are too late...Lucien was born a week ago.,..there is no word from the king,therefore nothing comes to my mind ...."

"you dare? you dare to speak to me with such a tone?now , when you have given an heir, you ,indeed became... truly spoiled...you should be taught a lesson! perhaps, i am to tell your husband that Lucien could be fandral s ,hm?"

"no,please...he could hurt Lucien !do not jest when my child is included !my downfall is your downfall as well...you would not do that!"

"not if i play my cards right,darling daughter."  
adyssa sensually played with her hair and wore that half smile that was colder than the winters in jotunheimr.

"i was attacked...how can you be so cruel?"  
adyssa chocked properly...

"oh,who is jesting now?i do not believe that you still pretend to not remember that you two were lovers."  
"what...?"  
"oh,spare me of that self pity.besides he was not the one to attack you...we ,you and i had a little fight over your ...shameful behavior,and in the time when you were still courted,and by the prince nevertheless...you hit your head and...well..."

"no!you are lying!"

"be quiet!do you wish for your husband to hear you were unfruitful...can you not envision what it is at stake?!i worked so hard both for you and me..,you do not know what being poor is like!"

the drunken woman started whimpering.a true wonder it is where that tissue appeared from.it was one of Valera s ...she borrowed everything she had...and rarely returned. and the golden haired young woman swore to herself that she is to resent all and any that represented a material addiction...and anything that could relate her to adyssa.

"you were never poor,mother!my grandfather was wealthy enough to sent you to Asgard where you met my father!"

the wine had this side effect to push the one drinking it into telling the truth...more reasons for adyssa to enjoy it s spell alone...

"oh,please...your father...he was completely useless... he could achieve so much ,but he did nothing...forever to be a lower lord...he had no aspirations nor desires to climb upon the cruel social ladder.oh ,how i loathed him..."

valera fell to the chair...as a child she hid under her bed when the home of hers was trembling with the yelling of her parents.her mother screamed at her father and tossed porcelain at him...she called him a scum...and he would leave...and drink and drink...she made him forsake little Valera.all this centuries,she was convinced that adyssa did it out of care for him...but she could not care for no one.it was not her natural state.

"you never loved him...you never loved me...the only one who you ever loved was yourself."-Valera could now only cry...all she did for adyssa...to make her feel something for her daughter...it was in vain.

"if this is true...then,..you destroyed what i had with fandral.you...disgust me!"

"i helped you...and besides it does not matter any more....you asked what was i celebrating..."  
"  
well...he,your lover, was brought during morning to Asgard.released by the dark elves,he was."

Valera was still wrapped in the invisible rope of confusion but was unconsciously heading towards the doors...  
then adyssa snorted..  
"in pieces..."  
\---------------------------------------

the large circle hall of the black castle with towers that ripped the sky...

the glow of the torches left fragile kisses over the sun kissed skin of the man ,who was just awakening from a nightmare.

"nifelheimr...why am i here again?the last thing i recall was us being attacked by the dark elves..."

"they killed you...and sent your head and heart in a small box ."-an icy voice of his little bride flew trough the hall.and then she appeared from the shadow.he knew she was watching him the whole time.hel inherited some ugly humor from her father,but even now,this could not be underlined as a joke.she was far to serious.he moved a bit,to walk to her,but then...

this blue eyes were betraying him ...he had a hole in the chest and a scar around his neck...it did not hurt but it was far from attractive...hel s expression was forming to somewhere in between sadistic ,sad and plotting like.

she put her left...the thinner hand int o that hole ...

"see..there is nothing there...as it never was.."

"i am dead!"-a strange ,terminal revelation.this was inescapable...was this the end?! oh no!

"we have concluded that already."  
his eyes were wide and her narrowed.she showed no mercy nor compassion.

"as soon as my long-distance view got sharper ...i was directed here under Frigga s order to sort the souls of the warriors that have fallen in svaratlheimr...some already left nifelheimr s plain for the beautiful Valhalla...some are to walk among the living for the eternity .and some...are to experience ...pain...either physical...emotional or both..."

"where do i belong then?"

"in the last group ,of course...what have you expect...to dine next to Odin?"

"surely you jest..."

"no..."

"hel ,this is serious,...just erase my name from that scroll and..."

dark hand of hers was raised and the smoke of black turned to chains. the next second, his arms were shackled over his head.

"shut your mouth!there is no questioning me...husband...for here...and now...i am your queen and you shall address me as such.is that clear?!"

he chuckled..more to hide his horror that an actual amuse.

"wait, wait...you are to put me to torture...and for what...leaving you here? common now.you know very well that i am not the right man for you.i am not the right for any woman."  
"wipe that grin of yours ,or i shall do it for you. and,so that you know, i was prepared to love you."  
"prepared?so you do not love me.ha! are you capable of loving at all? have you ever loved, hel?"

"enough!"

"oh,you are...but who...hm...those friends of yours...?"

he was not stopping now when he got on her nerve...one little girl can not command him ! the utter irony ...this was all a bitter dream...it must be!

"no? but who then?oh,by the norns hel...do not tell me it is your ...!"

before he demystified her dark secret,she raised her hand again and the mouth of the sarcastic aesir were sewed up.

this was no dream!the chains were too heavy,and he was unable to move at all.

"you.are.not.to.speak unless i give you a permission!"

fandral tried to move his lips,but the thread was sewed up too tightly.it pained him.his looks screamed with anger,but she casually left his view field and stopped right behind him.

he heard the scroll to be open;"fandral ,the punishments you are to receive are equal to the crimes you have done during your life as an asgadian.in battle you were fierce and brave and...righteous.thus here lies not your crimes.this was your duty.your crimes are based upon your vanity,ego-centrism,narcissism,deceitfulness,unfaithfulness and stubbornness.therefore ,you have not earn to walk among the gods.your punishment is to start right away and to last,at least 500 years.until you get to know what humility,love and kindness is,you are my prisoner.and...the sort and quantity of that you are to receive depends solemnly on me."

next sound is something he could not perceive.it was a sound of the fire whip.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wellsee and rat mommy wanted fandral who can not speak (mime) and is punished s&m style.here u go


	29. MIstress Fate...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks every1 for reading...also ,besides rat mommy and wellsee,thanks to BattleDoodle for clicking that kudos and ,i think she even bookmarked this.u made my day.thank you so much.your comments are welcome...

the feather has moved over the paper on it s own...those black words appeared from nowhere and stained the whiteness .paper is yin,accepting,delicate...words are yang ,strong ,piercing,over powering...but they go hand in hand...

"..thus the day ,when i shall be pronounced as a king of Asgard ,is to my misfortune ,approaching in an undesirable speed.for i do loath the very idea.and i relish to escape ...but i can not...forever and ever i am bonded by the duties others placed upon me...i..."

he stopped...there was something iconically sinister in his writing...he would unnoticeably sank into the depths of his psyche...and he would have to face himself again...like Dorian grey ...he did everything to shut himself from going that path...but...he was to arrive there one day.

"i..."-was he Loki or William...or both...or neither...he last track of the last time his thoughts were separated...was he complete now?

...past and future in present?oh,by the norns...he feared it was so...when did he stop speaking and thinking like William...?

he still knew why he was here...perchance,if he holds onto that accurate dream he once had ...then what...what was the point....does he want to live for another few thousands years?yes time did pass differently , but...it was exhausting...and butchering to his soul...he felt so much older than he was...tired of his own self.he died ...he should stayed dead.

the book closed itself.he didn't even had to use his sophisticated hands ...only his well trained mind.no more writing today....no matter that it was de facto all intended for Lucien...his urge to rewrite the history-and literally ...somehow his soul waited for the moment he will get his son back...but what of the others...Phillip and peter?he could not forget that he had more children once...

..silence can be the loudest...his inner self knew that ...he just needed to listen to it...and more often,but then he would have to admit that the previous future is fading and with it...William...who want s to be erased from existence?!

 

"no i cant do this..."  
stress,yes that is just that....he was under gigantic stress...they proclaimed the legitimate one dead, for there was no sign of Thor for a whole agonizing month...

"hel is he there...can you feel your uncle?"-once a day he interacted with his daughter using their bond...  
"no...Thor is not here,nor in Valhalla...i must go now..."

she was holding back her anger when they communicated...the bond did not lie...the issue was that superior race such as an asgardians would never take the word of Loki s daughter for a proof of anything,and yet they were rushing him to take gungnir...mad,mad world...they all cultivated the antagonism towards this two jotuns,but it was more a problem of prestige and image ...Asgard without a king!an absurdity!

but it was not only that in hel s case...he was waging for some time now...he found a very powerful spell...a spell to break the bond that unites the kindred spirits...never has one use it out of love...only jealousy or hate.is he to be an exception to the rule?

 

few minutes after he let his head rest between his arms on the hard desk...someone joined him.

a gentle soft and thin hand his of wife ,on his wide shoulders and the clock ticking, were almost an ethereal sentience. and yet it was an actuality...

his mind started working again...why was she so affectionate? does she wants something from him...?  
alone,from the bedroom, the elven young woman was withdrawn ,spoke little and closed all doors to her emotions.maybe her heritage...who would know...

"you seem worried,my husband...do you wish me to make you some herbal tea to warm your soul and bring calmness to your body?"  
norns...that sounded like a melody sweetened with honey....but he was an ever a pessimist and was taken aback by this.

"i...no...that is not . .."

a tormenting silence for them both...she was mourning and forcing herself to collect her recollection of the time with the man who died ,and in some way was trying to reestablish her relationship with Loki.she was undeserving of him.all this time he could easy bring her pain of more than one kind,but he did not...and while he could marry another,he gave her a chance nonetheless...but she self restrained herself and let adyssa breath for her...so she did something extremely selfish and destroyed hopes of others who had a choice.

this was a time for redemption,and perhaps she will find that little piece of peace within if she plays the role she is suppose to.being a good wife.if she cannot feel love for Loki now...if she tries...maybe one day...it was not unthinkable...the arranged marriages could work.

the person sitting ,even though he could use his telepathic abilities ,he often refused to do so.it was wrong on all the levels when it came to his closest ones...now,he didn't even need to ....she was like a rain at dawn...and then he was the night...night and dawn can never be together...but they can share a moon...a son...

"i am sorry...yes..i would like that tea.thank you,Valera."  
he could almost hear her mouth forming a soundless smile .  
\---------------------------------

Loki s steps were the only sound through the hallway...he found it to be a waste of his precious time...the walk thought the line of a hundred columns took at least 15 minutes...and he could be at the desired point B in a flash...but Frigga disapproved this...the less magic he uses among his subjects ,chances are ,that they are to accept him more.even she was counting on Thor s being forever gone.But ,his own prediction won this argument...the news from svartalheimr...

oh ,20 more columns to go,...he was impatient and surprised by his self control.he wanted to run...and pass this homogenic walls ,carpets and guards...  
and they, standing there like statues were easily to be replaced by the same.to them this vocational subjugation was a honor...to Loki...a paid slavery.

they eyed him and he them...even for a second ,when he pierced into their eyes...their thoughts...he heard the expected:"this jotun scum is to be our king??!"

 

it did not affect William so ,when he arrived,but now he got used to his new body and the blood cells that came along with it....he was being rejected for something which was not even offensive to the eye...well ,he made it now...his eyes went ruby red and skin dark blue....they lowered their gazes...it was a shameful sight.but for who?

his solo march completely quietened once when the doors of Frigga s chambers were sealed...with her seidr.  
"Frigga..."-he bowed a bit.they were alone,and there was a small agreement between them that no formalities are required...she always found a son in him,the one she never had...Thor belonged to Odin more,and she was excluded from her child's life...so ,when Loki needed her help ,she imagined him to be her little boy.who will never grow up.and she loved him...even if her little boy was now blue and possessed crimson eyes...

"is it true?have we received a letter from svartalheimr?"  
"oh ,Loki...yes...we have...but please do not make any rush decisions..."  
"probably, i shall...is it Thor...is he...?"  
"alive! he is alive..."

"oh ,thank the norns..."  
what a relief it was...he forgot about his manners and hugged her,but when she looked at him ,she transported her heartache onto him.deliberately .a trick some mothers do...how many children can stand their mothers sorrow?

"what is it...what have you saw,...mother?"  
"do not doubt ,he is alive...i know of this...i feel it not as a sorceress ,but as a parent...mother always knows...and i could not be more glad for it...but,i also do know that you are now about to go after him."  
"yes."  
"and there is no way i can hold you back."  
"no."  
"you are to face your destiny one more time...in a mirror universe...the one you arrived from...."

"i died...yes...but now,it is possible to prevent it from repeating.i see this time line from more perspectives,and i am positive i shall be few steps in front of them.i know how they think.once ,Asgard has fallen...and i am not to let it re-happen again.not for the sake of it s people but also my family.I will return with or without Thor .i give you my word."

The queen was taking up the tissue from pure air .how many is to pass before all her tears are to dry out.how much loss can she bare....

"mother,please...oh,you are doing this tendentially...you know how much this influences my reasoning.what a clever method to keep me here."

ah,she hummed and sadly smiled.

"there...thank you for that lovely smile.i am to treasure it...and thank you for being so good to me , hel and Lucien...if i do not come back,would you...?"

"i will...i will...they are to be under my protection Loki...William."

his head was pulsating...he needs to say goodbye to his children...and wife...

"everything that was said is to stay here,behind this walls...until i...arrive..."-he almost chocked on that.not even he could neglect the fact that the mistress fate has other plans for them all...

"...you are to carry out the matters of the land ,on economical,social and the field of foreign affairs.to make things more convincing,i am to leave a clone behind.his features are an authentic replica of my own ,yet he shall be fragile...if he turns into a smoke...it means that ..."  
"you died..."

 

 

 

 

                                                       


	30. Illusive Freedom

 

 

"Asgard must surrender ,or your king shall meet the same fate as your captain (fandral) did.  
the leader of the Svartlaheimr s  kingdom"  
Mror

 

it was all it said...the elves were direct ,short and not open to negotiations.of any kind.but the shocking news was that Thor was not dead.of course the public was unaware that their king was  being captivated in the first place.the battle was simply prolongated.those who knew the truth ,carried a heavy burden of silence....

the leaves were removed from the path,as if some unseeable hand placed them on the side.Loki s luck was that no one was here,and yet he learned ,or to put it more adequately,he was self taught in caution.upon the same day,Frigga ordered that the guards of the realm are to  watch at all the times,every gate, passage,and way in and out of the kingdom .

villages,cities and the court were not excluded.but,again,if the hysteria is to overtake the people,it would be impossible to keep them safe.so guards were to say nothing...and the people were to stay guessing...with few instructions ,such as...do not go out after the suns are set,keep your weapons close to yourself,..if you see anything out of the order,immediately call for help.

so you see,no one could possibly care about the plants...which was a forgetfulness of the worst kind,for many herbs here were used in healing ,due to their powerful and nutritious performances...  
and this green fellow was simply large and was on his way.now, walking beneath the stars,shielded from the view of any breathing creature,the prince saw the very spot where the late guard Bjorn,the infamous casket and the message were found.  
"so, enjoying their little trips,aren't they?"

the dark elves traveled, as basic logic would determine, during the night ,as weak cowards they are. and they also exaggerated with using secret side portals...heimdalr would smell them even before they even think about using the main entrance-the biforst...but if they used another portal...and covered themselves with their dark for the mimicry,..not even he could be sure about thieves that wonder around in the the land of odinson.

his senses detected a small distortion of the energy along this paved little trace...he had to put his nose where it does not belong....he had to...this sweet night walk was leading him beyond the borders of the gardens,into the woods...

"oh,but of course...so far and yet so close..."  
courage William,no one can see you...he thought to himself .albeit he was more confident in his seidr abilities,there was no mistake there.whatever it is to come from the events of this night...the consequences shall be great.

"oh but they can feel you..all of them...even the creatures that live among the trees and protect the forest.perhaps some carnivores like trolls...."  
"oh, is that all?"  
"no,it is not,puny mortal..."  
"why do you hate me so, Loki..we are one...you are me and i am you.."  
.  
"oh ,noooooo...that is where you are very much wrong, midgardian...i am the side that even Loki wanted to bury deep inside...if he,the god of mischief and chaos could not defeat mischief and chaos themselves ...how would you,with you limited powers and infatilistic ideals....?right now,you are on the one way to nifelhiemr...forget about Valhalla... do not even think of it! you are unworthy!"

"so what!so what if i am ? you...beast,monster...whatever you are...if i am to liberate Loki from you,i ll do it! you can not control me...i already know too much and i...i do not fear...neither of you or the dark elves..now be gone!"

he won..this time...he won this small battle...that wickedness inside him shushed...  
"oh...thank you..."-he addressed his creator and gazed high above him...as if the starts and the moon smiled to him,and not at him...

and this helped him to throw this mountain of horrors of his back..he was as light as a feather.he felt he could do anything...so he ran...yes, he did...he let his long legs carry him through the parts where no one passed before...he jumped over the fallen tree,the pond...his feet felt gentleness of the spiral soft meadow grass beneath them...and when he was about to lose his breath completely...there it was...a cliff....all the thrill and childishness was no more...the source of the energy distortion was right here ...as the atmosphere was cut into a whole...  
"a portal...",he whispered...  
so, the portal was on the very edge of the cliff...  
maybe it reminded them of their home...he thought sarcastically...bastards,...  
.................................................................  
although, invisible just as he,the portal accepted him as a friend...but he entered it as an enemy...rocks were now metal.. floor and walls were made of a metal...,perhaps the ceiling as well...he would not know...it was dark...darker than dark itself...his fingers touched the walls and he glued himself to it...now he was to lean on his other five senses...hear,smell,hopefully not taste,touch and intuitions...one deep breath...and here we go...wherever he was .the wall kept going and going...blast...what was he doing...maybe Thor was not here at all...wherever this was...a ship? a station?

he could spend an eternity only prolonging his own death...what was he to do...  
using magic was always an option,and Loki was within him, waiting... however ,William was no fool.since they used darkness that control the light seidr,their power will recognize an alien kind magic .,thus he would jeopardize this rescue...and, he _will_ jeopardize this rescue...he was never a patient man,now was he?

his body released free ,this flow of a searching fluid that is sensitive to the vibrations of a familiar person.all he was to do now ,was to be completely silent and wait...and waited he did ...until the information arrived back to him...there was a recognition...Thor s loud beating of a heart....he was back down the path ,from which Loki arrived...darn it...

the pale prince was only about to turn, when he almost bumped into someone...it was a split of a second and a centimeter ...really...one of the creature passed him...he had to calm his nerves...and use magic...and be quick about it...he conjured his night s vision...they will discover him soon enough...

Thor was in a half dark...on the table ,tied up,his energy being drained into some strange ancient stone that was atop on his chest...  
but,his non-brother breathed out... he was still alive...

only one guard was intruding a proper escape...perfect...  
the tormented aesir groaned in pain as he saw this ghostly white elf getting hit in the head with an axe and the dissapearing from his view with a loud thud.  
someone was here...his head moved slowly but eyes searched the place.  
"Thor..."-a nectar to his ears...  
"am i dreaming...Loki is that you?""  
"aye......"  
"Loki...mjolnir...they took it..."  
"be quiet...we shall speak later on ,but right now, i want you to brace yourself..."  
"for what?"  
"a long...healthy walk."  
\-------------------------------------------------  
the woods were still in the claws of the night and the two men carrying each other... were horribly slow...Thor was stumbling and falling every two steps...he was heavier and larger than Loki and was dragging a smaller person along with him.

"common Thor,we must hurry..."  
the elves must have discover that their prisoner was missing by now,and they were still far from being safe,unless they can reach the castle or ....if they could just get away from this thick trees...where the suns will greet them...no,the dawn is not to be .not for another few hours,at least.

"heimdalr!heimadlr! "-Loki screamed...useless...he could not teleport them...he needed the clear path...yes,Loki could teleport himself ,but not Thor...the darkness was deep beneath his skin...the green seidr would not work...

then he hears the shushing of the leaves behind them..oh no...  
this shall be the first time anyone did this but Loki started chanting out loud.

"brother...be quiet..!"  
he was not to stop now...the branches started falling to the ground and the sky above them appearing...but Loki was not over yet...  
"...night be gone!night be gone!welcome be the dawn!"  
"what?"  
loki pushed the other faster and while he was weakening , he did prove himself to be as mighty as the nine know him to be ...if he did not live up to his reputation and if that two suns did not rise at that moment, the five dark elves would ....the forest was to vast and they would not succeed...  
rays of the gold, lighten up this part of the forest after few centuries...and hours before it was a normality...  
the growling sounds behind , uncovered their hunters to them ...they jounced,moaned and shrilled by an even smallest touch of the light...profanities were shout ,but they had to return to the shadows,...  
"yes, run away you bastards!fuck you!"  
William won...

 

                 

 

 

                                                                                                       

                                                                                                                             
  


	31. Loki s Weakness

Pyrrhic victory .....  
what a Pyrrhic victory it was....never shall arrive the day ,upon which prince Loki or his more spiritually developed self,William, shall complete something without causing hurt to someone or destroying something.the fresh dawn that was invoked too early truly has chased away the dark elves,but there was no avoiding the awing purity of the strong light.and Thor who was in blackness for too long,could not restrain himself...he had to raise his blue eyes towards the suns that were the very symbol of his beloved homeland .

Thor acted firstly and then re questioned what has he done ,while Loki would wage upon decisions and numerous outcomes for centuries...yet again this shall cost them more than they were capable of imaging.Loki waited for the enemies to return and when all fell quiet,not including the birds quarreling in the trees,he felt something amiss with his half brother...  
"Thor,no!"

it was,too late...as it always was in the world of Loki...

 

\------------------------------------------  
"the king is blind...king Thor is blind..."

-eir concluded quietly after examining Thor s physical and mental state ...and while he had no visible injures,his eyes still saw nothing...until now ,there was hope...but whatever treatment she used,and she used both everything that was "in the book",and all the knowledge that was in the grey or even the black zone...forbidden...perilous...but Thor s sight was not retrieving.and he asked her,for days now,when will he get his most important sense back again,..he was becoming more and more impatient and angry...threatening like...

so eir turned to the queen,then to the queen,trusting in her merciful nature,and the only thing she could rely on right now...facing the king who was stripped of his strength ...his primary source of might...would lead to her final destination.the dungeons.or worse...

after that,she calmly left the healing room ,not turning to see the blond man s face when his mother leaned to whisper something in his ear.nor leaving anyone to read a single sign of her worries...her perfect guise and recognizable firm steps have led her to the storage room .there,in the this small pathetic space,filled with herbs and potions,she sat on the bag of straw and embraced herself ,now slightly shaking...she was acquainted with the meaning of this type of the situation...in theory,yes...

is he to get his vision back?when ,how ?but what if this condition is a permanent one ?and aside from this loss,norns forbid,but there was a possibility of other complications as well.why had Odin ordered that all the records about the svartalheimr are to be burned...the remaining ones ...they are the ones that should have turn into ashes...  
she shook her head...Thor was submitted to this unknown magic...and she was walking in the mist of how to treat him...  
in the reign of Odin,if the healer failed in all his attempts to help his majesty...then the heads would fell....  
Thor was his son,and despite him being more benevolent, now could show his eruptive side...no one was irreplaceable...even in the hierarchy of the healers,existed this cold competition and many desired the position of the royal healer...this misfortune also lies in the beginning of something ...or ending of something larger than all of them combined.it hanged in the air,where those in the healing room could almost touch the inevitable.and was followed by odinson s roars and cries .

\--------------------------------------------------------------  
"why have you leave the passage for the prisoner opened ,my leader?"

the long haired elf carefully watched as the clouds were constantly transforming their shapes , without giving no more than necessary attention to the other one.  
"i wished to know the motives ,and weaknesses of my most powerful enemy...."

"you are referring to the king Thor?"  
"no,you simpleton...the aesir jotun mag ,Loki...without him, the golden realm is defenseless...the blond one,odinson is merely a name...it does surprise me in the most positive way that the asgardians can not see this.and now...we are to wait...how shall the once mighty ,arrogant king accept the reality in which he has lost everything.including that toy in which his power lies?....Thor,his vision and his hammer...however,knowing what the jotun prince could do,it is just a matter of time and perception and he would find a key of how to regain the control over mjolnir."  
"apologies,sire...but have you find it then,what makes the prince weak?"  
"his family,of course".  
\----------------------------------------------------  
lying sideways and turned from the dreamy vision where Valera is putting their son into a crib...Loki let the shy dance of the candle flames reflect itself in his eyes. he was letting himself get hypnotized by this...darkness and light... a never-ending battle...a multiple metaphor...just like it was then...,for it was his fault Thor was half the man he used to be ...he was to be blamed...and he was blamed by all...but nothing was greater punishment that the one he placed on his shoulders....his guilt.

..what made him do it,or who?to use that damn spell....why did he not just froze them?he was a bloody frost giant,was he not?but he could not locate them or count their numbers ....he hated risking,and yet he risked all the time...!thank you so much William...so freaking much!what was he to do now?he expected the guards to march in at any moment...he forgot how it is like to sleep.

his mind needed the rest from hysteria so his thoughts turned to what Valera was doing...she was rubbing in a mint cream onto her hands .one of the beauty secrets the women of alfehiemr selfishly kept to themselves...she was sitting on the other side of the bed,and even though she knew him well by now,and he was distant and wanted not to be disturbed by her irrelevant daily stories, she was genuinely worried for his fate.this were difficult times and his absence ,psychical absence was standing in a way of the amelioration of them as a family.

he blinked and the candle was off...she slipped then under the covers and moved her slim body closer to his.  
"i know i am yet a common wife,my lord,and that my words are nothing more than a whisper in the wind,but know this,...whatever it is that lays in the days that are ahead of us ,i ll be there by your side."

her warmness made him face her...  
he was repeating himself...closing the doors between them,and they are to share the same problems.he was to break this circle and to do this,he had to do one thing ,and one thing only.give them both a chance.

he expressed his gratitude,not with words,but he let his fingers trace the lines of those feminine cheeks and full lips.  
"dearest Valera,how many times am i to tell you,not to call me that...?"  
she smiled in the dark,but he saw it.  
"...and you know this...that i do value your opinion...i do not need some one to infinitely approves my mistakes.i just ask of you to be honest ,nothing more and nothing less."

and his silky words were nothing more and nothing less than she wanted to hear her partner to say.

\---------------------------------------------------------------  
not few hours later,deep in the night but he was on his feet again...if he is already messing with that ,what was insulting to the Yggdrasil s cosmic rules ,then he might as well make a ball.  
loathing ones self went to a whole another level when he was in question.making love to your wife,but afterwards thinking of your daughter...he thought he could stop this on his own...this disease...but no...the time for other measures ....the soul-mate breaking spell from the beginning of the time...

"i am sorry hel...this is something i must do...."

consisting of tunes hummed with perfect precision ,few drops of blood and an ancient words repeated in inversion...the potion glow fiery red and shined through the dark.  
he was shaking and one tear slipped from behind his emotionless mask...  
he is to destroy the bond he had with her...and his heart was already split in in the middle,bleeding,calling for the other half...

the bottle was pressed upon his thin lips ,when...

 

  
Lucien cried...loudly ,violently...demanding both milk and blood and undeniable full attention from his parents...right now!

the raven haired man sighed with a relief and went to aid his wife.  
however,the bottle ,by the time he returns for it ,shall be gone...


	32. The Purple Full Moon

this starts months upon months from the previous events...  
the full purple moon ,known as the midnight sun, has honored the souls of the nifelheimr with its beauty...once in a 50 years...  
it s magical influence on all of them could not be generalized,for all and each one of them had an unique fate...and such was the fate of Hel...  
the young queen,in her age of almost 17, was holding a door knob with one and her maid with another hand,...holding,or more likely,cranking up,taking deep breaths...her eyes turned red ,and nose was bleeding...she was in agony ,a one like never before...this onus of her shall be over soon...

 

another maid forgot about the protocols and run in Hel s private chambers with the bowl of a warm water and some towels...this was a first to happen in this realm...and all of them were running about without really being useful.

the girl threw herself on a bed...her belly was huge and her body so petite...one child was eating her flesh from the inside and another one was on it s way out...

"norns...the labor started...what are we to do otr...the twins are enormous..."

as a personal servant to the ruler,he had the last word on this.however,the healer Ragna was already sterilizing the instruments,predicting his decision.  
"if we are to save her,we need to make caesarean section."-she said quickly.

"a caesarean section?"  
the old man rubbed his forehead...his little queen could die if they are to wait for the nature to take its course...on the other hand ,the children would be in peril during the procedure.  
besides his determination to put his queen on a primary position,they spoke of this,and he had to comply to her wishes.  
"do it,the. but,please try to save them....all."

and so it was ...5 servants on each side ,held her limbs down and while she torn her throat shrieking.her spine was deforming,the children were breaking out on their own...  
"can she be sedated?"

Ragana was only blunt-"no, i am sorry,but a half of her body is dead-like ours...that part can not be affected and the sedatives would not work on the other half,as well.and there is a question of how will the children respond to them..she will,either go unconscious on her own or she will suffer,...there is not much i can do."  
otr nodded,holding hel s hand..

"it is going to be all right,my child..."

"please don't hurt them..."-she ceased her cries ,even in such a horrid anguish to plead for them...she will/would be a good mother ,he thought...  
first cut was made,and then the blade was dragged along the line ....hel stopped moving....  
"she can not feel anything,anymore."-Ragna removed her hair and stuffed it into that hole on the side right above the place where her eras once were.  
"is she ...?"  
"not, if we deliver the children soon.now be prepare for a stream of blood."  
\--------------------------------------------------------  
the moon was still high above...  
that was the first thing,her cried out large eyes gazed upon.by slightly turning her head ,there,by her sideas always was her faithful servant and,she dared to believe,a friend.  
"how are you felling, your majesty?"  
"um...it is so cold...why is it so cold,otr?...the window...?"  
"...is closed,majesty."  
"i...um..."-she was about to get up,but the sharp pain bellow her waist made her yell once more...  
"it was not a dream,was it?i ..i am a mother?"  
he nodded-"yes...two boys..."  
"i wish to see them!where are they?!"  
he averted his gaze from her to the healer standing on the other side with her hands tightly clasped in front of her.  
"maybe it is not the wisest decision."  
"why,what is wrong..?they are well?rRagna?Otr?Tell me...!"  
silence on the both sides...  
hel was hyperventilating and intended to ,at least move an inch..but she started bleed again and the sheets went crimson...  
Ragna anticipated the girl s moves and was there with that bowl again-"no,no...you must remain lying,one day in total, if not more.the children are fine,and resting .you shall see them tomorrow..."  
the girl was not able to protest any more...  
\------------------------------------------------  
outside the doors..  
"a wolf and a serpent...this was a product of dark magic.."-otr concluded sadly.he loved little hel like she was his own grandchild,and to see her suffer so, only made him emotionally go through the same.but he was not classified to help her.and that pained him the most.  
Ragna sighed ,as all healers do after a hard day when they have to admit that no matter how much has been done,there is still an eventuality of some sort that will shade their attainment .  
"i can assure you,dear otr,that i shall do all what is within my power to make them shape shift into an aesirs,and before they are presented to her...i can not guarantee it but i will... try.if their father was an aesir..then...it is within them and their own seidr to adjust to a from their parents wear .but, it is still too early to be completely sure if it will be a success....."  
"a jotun..."  
"pardon?"  
"the father is a jotun..."  
\-------------------------------------------------  
confusing as it sounds but all has its beginning,and so we are to go back to that night where an individual with two personalities, called Loki smiled fondly as he held his son.Lucien ,on his good days would like Loki,he would giggle and drool and smile,but now he was unstoppable...  
"Valera,what am i to do with him...usually,when i am rocking him,he dozes off,but now..."  
"dozes off?"  
yet another term,william almost forgot.

"goes into a state of a temporarily unconsciousness where his higher ego flies among the fluffy clouds ."  
one of his charming warm jests...Loki was so much deeper than any one she has ever met...and the more he opened himself to her ,the more she...lo...liked him...  
they had this little moment in time ,only the the three of them... all embraced,slowly rocking together...she sang ,Lucien dozed off,and William felt that this is where he should be and what he should be...they will stay together ,so, come what it may...  
\-----------------------------------------------  
the princess s mother may roam the palace as he heart desires...even into the royal chambers...to her calculations ,the young couple would be sleeping by now,and she could borrow some of the jewelry,or silk...or bottles ,and Valera would not notice.or give a damn to talk to her about it...well,after that argument,Valera forbade her to come near her...what she doesn't know,can not hurt her.  
Adyssa still had the spare key .oh,so they were awake ,but preoccupied with the child...fine,she is to be fast,and quiet.  
few of her court ladies gave her an invitation to a private feast with the creme dela creme,and she had to bring a gift...and what was more becoming of someone of her status than the finest of the finest...and Loki had the best wines in his collection ....thus,a combination of a speed,long sleeves and trying not to get caught resulted with the spilled potion...  
that potion,yes...  
and to make things even worse,it was soaked into the carpet ...oh,no...she thought...nevertheless,she found the solution.in the end, she was a clever woman.she analyzed few of the ingredients only by the smell-it was a strange love spell...huh...why would a prince have that in here?for now i did not matter...she found and old potion standing far behind all the other bottles.in the corner,covered with spiderweb.

a delusion,and an infatuation...good,it was a similar potion,no?  
and the color matched...so she poured that one into the empty bottle,added few more spices she recognized,...mixed it...and chanted....every potion needed a proper chant...every elf knew that...and the prince would feel if that part was missing.whatever she did,she had no time to contemplate about it...it will work...it must...now ,for the stain on the rug,hmmm...she just turned the rug for the 90 degrees and placed a plant on the red spot.  
and she was gone like she never was here at all...

10 minutes later and the tired man left his two jewels to rest ,while he seeks out the salvation in his creation....  
the bottle was moved a bit,but he yearned for all this to be over,so he overlooked that small,but relevant detail.he is to have a healthy life with his family...the bottle was opened again,for the third time that night...the smell was far far poorer...

"hmmmmmmm ... the chronos does play a part in this..."  
some more blood drops and a few words.,just for a good measure...unknowingly,he just enhanced the spell to the point of madness....after consuming it to the last drop,all went black...

 


	33. Rright  and Wrong

he was coming...the string that connects their hearts told her so....she was to put their previous misunderstandings aside...the main goal was to talk to him ,to ask about the sudden visit,preferably have a pleasant evening .like the ones they had when she was a small girl ,who would intentionally hide among the thick bushes in the gardens...and Loki would go after her...and owing to the bond...he would instantly found her ...lift her in his gentle arms and osculated her never red cheeks... that delectable recollections...but that was then....

his light filled the corridors.with the movements of a predator preying upon his careless  victim, he slowly approached... and no words were spoken,but the loud silence explained it all...tonight he was not her father...he was not here to judge her,to preach about how  hers disobedient or  headstrong she is ... nor he was here to argue nor even to direct her ,in his infinitive tries to guide her to a more lighter future ...no....something changed his depths...for this was a creature of want,primal instincts and no restrictions ...he did shock hel with the way he firstly operated towards her...a kiss...

before she was to call him upon anything, he cupped her face and joined their lips...  
perhaps she was dreaming,but the sight of otr with wide open mouth, at the end of the hall,proved her otherwise...

his lips were so warm ,in contrast to her cold ones ,his hands strong... when have they became so strong?they steadied her body from flinching ,but her heart was about to jump from her chest...  
"i want you...i can not fight myself anymore,hel..."  
were his thoughts ...  
what made him act this way...possibly a conflict with his an ideal fairy wife?or did he surrendered himself to what was meant to be ,right from the start...she longed to know,but this moment was to fragile ,and anything could ruin it...  
"take me then ..." she mentally responded watching him in a dream -like state.

Loki gifted her with the smile so different than the one she was accustomed to. this one reminded her of a hungry wolf...

before she even blinked ,she was lifted from the grounds ,as if she was a mere feather, and was carried to her bedroom...as if she was his bride.

...that night he took nothing from her,but gave her all she needed and more...their veins contain the same red liquid ...but that was misinterpreted as wrong...what if it was right...who would know the other one better then someone so close....they were one now,body,mind and spirit...hel in her ecstasy and craving for love and affection kept pushing aside that tiny voice that was reminding her of how unnatural this is and that her father was not,indeed present...who or whatever this person was,was here only to damage her.  
to damage her...how on,midgard could something so unblemished and wonderful,be wrong?  
they way he caressed her body,the way his lips went lower and lower...  
"oh ,yes" -she moaned....this was meant to be...they were meant to be...

and that part was true...every creature,despite his or her origin or looks has a meaning,a reason to be ...and such creatures were both Loki and Hel,and such creatures were jorumungandr and fenrir...norns knew that...and they followed William in those futile attempts to evade this...so they tasked his mother in law to redirect the destiny of them towards a bit more complicated and a little more predictable path ...it was done,earlier than before ,but almost in the exact same manner....the main-protagonist unaware of what he is doing... a girl with the skeleton arm would grow only if she is to face something ,or someone who would both make her strong and ...weak...and who was better than the one who gave her life and then denied her existence or worth ?

 

the black mooring arrived....with her head upon his chest,listening to his heartbeats ,she barely slept,at all...fearing that this was not unimaginative.  
good things do not last for long,she heard that once...then ,did it count if the bad things last for so long,would then those benign ones  over-last them?would the sun shine in nifelheimr...no...she had this one moment...and she prised it.  
taking in his scent ,a true scent of man and invoking within her mind the sounds he made...

  
"was it too good to be true.Hel?"-the voice regressed.she knew what it meant by that ...  
that sweet an idealistic dream was to buried deep into the grounds when his jade s went wide...  
without a warring,Loki pushed her from her position,took few steps away from the crimson satin covered bed and waved his hand in an uninterested mode. his boots,pants and armor wrapped themselves over his slender figure ... he seemed ready to leave.

"wait...why...has...something...has something happen?you are not...going away,are you?"-her voice quivered and she fond herself to be so ...small...unprotected.  
also the shame appeared of how childishly she sounded...the guilt..it must have been...he was stone cold ,almost unattached to the bond.she could not bring his eyes to connect with hers.this was the hour she was dreading.

"p...please...can you not stay ...for a while...?"

"absolutely not..."  
now he was facing this pitiful wench and he felt disgust.she had no value or meaning....  
"i got what i have came for,and nothing more.i only planned to set a terminal conclusion to our ...bond...and now that i have...i do not see any base to pay you a visit ...or talk to you anymore."

the pearly tears were freezing her face ,as she watched him in uttermost disbelief...  
"you, you can not mean this..."  
"oh,but i do. now...we both are out of the cages.for if we did not let our animalistic temperament take it s course ,we would still be trapped...you should thank me."  
his eyes were menacing .... she was paralyzed...did he...did he just use her in the most sickening fashion?  
"farewell...daughter..."

yes...he did...  
\------------------------------------------------------  
"husband,husband...i beg of you...wake up...."  
someone staggered both his numb body and  deep sleep...  
"umph...wha...what?"  
William found himself on a fur carpet in his leaving room,all dressed as if he was to march into a battle.  
the young woman he took for a wife ,known for the suppression of her emotions,was shivering and fearing...and for him....as he was to to determine by the unanswered questions he saw in those deep blues...that affected him instantly.for some reason he knew he did something...wrong...but was it mainly to her...or...were more people involved?

"are you well?were you harmed?"  
"harmed?woman,what.are.you.talking.about?"  
taking a rest on a floor was never a wise idea...his back ached ,and when he rose he almost yelped...almost...  
"you were gone for two days....where were you?the king...ordered for your presence...and...we thought the worst."  
two days ...he was gone for two days and one night...what could have occur within that time?indeed,where was he within that time duration?  
norns,he did not start a war,did he?


	34. Silence...

Loki bowed,from respect and respect principally,even though,somewhat it was unnecessary...the person who summoned him to the throne hall could not see him.the sound of his leather pants stretching made Thor conclude that his half brother has indeed entered and greeted him as the traditions of the court require.he nodded in confirmation and Loki raised.his head was down,he did had this invisible hand squeezing his heart.the sight of Thor,so dark,angry and grave was uncomfortable,and painful.

 

                                                                    

 

"you ordered for my attendance ,my king.?"-the guilt was in his voice,and he left it to hang out on the open.the genuine ,vile Loki was quiet for a while now,and William, as his contradiction ,spited upon the games and lies.bringing the new trend to Asgard-honesty was his long termed ,almost an utopic plan.

"where were you?!"-king was not only loud but also in this odious mood.  
"they say you ran away,like a weakling,a coward you truly are! afraid of the possible penalty for your crimes.as you thought i am to forget what you have bestowed upon me!"

"Thor..."

"yourrrrrrrr majesty!"-the blind man had wrathfully spat,which was the first.the imprimis time that the blond man threw the purest detest towards him.until now they were a true support to one another, more than friends or brothers...words were too meager and could not describe what William felt for jack...urgh ...Thor...but he saw jack in Thor...and he would slap himself for his previous eagerness to erase jack s optimism with his pessimism and sarcasm .jack was not there to protect him when they were children.he was ,in a way his bully...and his friends were a walking nightmare for a small ,quiet boy such as William ...so that stayed as a mucous emotion he was unable to shake away...so where jack was an ill cousin,there ,Thor was a kind ...brother...but now...well,you had it coming William....

one thing he did occasionally,and that was to remind himself of his name...a name that must not be forgotten...

"forgive me,for my insolence...your majesty".  
William was pretty humble in his behavior which almost soothed Thor,who obviously expected a following quarrel.  
the king leaned back ,tightening his lips,dragging them into a slight smile.Loki then noticed someone else... there was lady sif with her sword ,and hidden behind all her manliness,but those eyes could not tell a lie. Loki knew why was she here...for whom she was here...

so,she was one of his personal guards now...after Thor s bitter return to the land of his forefathers,she would not be seen anywhere else,but by his side.and Loki had a feeling, within the slightest part of the second.... he saw a golden string that went from her heart to Thor s..a bond....perhaps...one days she shall sit by his side...  
if her beloved does not stay blind...emotionally, that is.

when he heard her stepping forward,Thor grabbed his goblet and drank it voraciously.again,he spill some of it on his beard and armor...the sound of the thrown golden goblet echoed like a small thunder...and Thor breathed out....seeming somewhat calmer.

"so,where were you..little brother? you did not answer me."  
"i...i had something to do...to finish....it is only personal.i do apologize for my absence,still,i assure you,that i would not leave the place,if it was not of the momentous relevance."

Thor raised his hand..

"stop apologizing...you will lose my respects...has the bold prince -sorcerer suddenly became a mouse?do you fear me ,Loki?"  
now William faced him,and said which was only the truth.

"no.no i do not.if you have came up with a punishment ,that is so fitting for my crimes...the crimes that saved your life,then ,by all means i am more than willing to receive it.i only beg of you,your highness, to grant me some time ,so that i may,at least ,say goodbye to my family."

Thor didn't move an inch and then he bursted into a laughter...William hated the fogginess of this new situation.and he absolutely hated they way sif was looking at him....she was probably imagining her blade upon his throat...so,he clenched his fits and waited....

"oh,no ,no...i do not wish to see...i do not wish for you to die!i am aware that,even i, myself am partially to be blamed for my condition...but then,you have disobeyed my orders and left Asgard without a proper protection.the most powerful sorcerer left to secure it ,was our mother,and you selfishly installed this burden upon her...secondly ,you played with the forbidden magic..."

now he leaned forward...  
"but you did save me...and that is why your punishment shall be reduced..."

now Loki lifted his sorrowful face and met Thor s white eyes...

"...to this...you have one hour to travel to jotunheimr.the dark elves ,as heimdalr saw....attacked both nidavelir and alfheimr...vanaheimr would be the next target.go to jotunheimr,and gather up helblindi s army.we need all the allies we can get...even those monsters and savages."  
oh,Thor could not see Loki,but he said this only to spite him...was he becoming one of that kind?the men who felt greater only when they malversated an another?

"and you are not to come back until he signs the alliance pact."  
"helblindi is stubborn...that could be exceedingly prolongated...and i do have an urgent matter..."  
"was i not merciful,brother?or ,am i not?"  
"yes,...yes you are..."  
Loki could,if he wanted so,use anyone of the million spells he mastered and strike the low king down.it was as simple as that,and sif would not be able to do a thing...but Loki had a heart.and his heart was in pieces that need to be stitched back together .to fight or... to fight no more...  
"to fight..no more."  
\---------------------------------------  
the windows were wide open and the cold breeze filling his room had a mocking hint of the essence of the place he is about to call home for an unknown period.he met helblindi on a several occasions...and could not force himself to like the giant.and while,he ,in his sensible nature had a reasoning,as well as an understanding why the king of joutns wanted all the Asgard to fall,he could not accept the one sided mentality and cruelty that radiated from him.  
this shall be a tiresome task...  
the bags were packed...he did checked their contents few times,but could not care less... he kissed Valera,who he found dear to his heart ,and directed one last smile to his son.they are to be missed....

the last reaming thing was to put a protection spell over his memoirs,for they are to be his companion in the long nights of non-ending winter.

the flash of the colors of fiery sunset enlighten the space behind him...  
the queen appeared with her hands over her chest...she knew when he was in ail and trouble...even when he did not.

"my darling son...i have heard the verdict...oh ,thank the norns...Thor did not went completely mad. please,try to hurry helblindi s decision ,so that it benefits both sides ....and so that you may retrieve in time.."

"...before Thor loses it ?mother ...the ground bellow my feet is splitting in half and i am to fall into a bottomless pit.pretty much like the one , that abyss under the bifrost is ..."  
"you are not talking of Thor,are you?"  
loki sighed.

"you know me too well,for i believe i did something wrong in that period when i was missing,. i can feel it ,and it is driving me mad.....and yet i can not,for the world of it regain my memory back...what if it is something.... something awful...?"

Frigga took his hands and joined their foreheads together...not much explanation was needed.the two of them were like mother and son...  
"empty your mind,and steady your thoughts ,Loki...i shall try to walk the path you did...now calm your breathing..."  
when he did as she told him,the unclear vision appeared in her mind...Loki drinking some strange wine,his eyes turning red,as if he was in his natural form.she saw him then being cloaked with an invisibility spell to avoid the eyes of the gatekeeper ...the last scene was when he entered the shadows...

"the shadows"-she repeated whispering...  
"the shadows? that could only mean... nifelhemir...?"  
\---------------------------------------------------------------  
as he had to wait for his belongings to be placed upon his beloved sliepnir,he paced in front of the magnificent castle . while he eyed the light of biforst ,he let himself meditate and reconnect with his daughter...  
his heart skipped a beat,as the sensation of the negative energy attacked his heart.she was angry with him.

"hel...."  
no response,only more blackness...  
"hel,please...you must tell me...have i visited you within this past few days?"

in the world of darkness,hel bit into her wrist ,to prevent herself from answering ...drinking her own blood and mutilating herself was a practice saved for the days of no hope or depression.  
"hel,i know you can hear me.i was there,wasn't i?if,if i did something..."

"all is ready,my lord."-the servant interrupted him.  
"yes,thank you Hugar.thank you ever so much."-if the looks could kill...  
\------------------------------------------------  
when the bond became weaker , hel laughed out loud,blood dripping on her white night gown...  
her maid saw this and ran off in a hurry to bring some gauze and water...  
"leave it be...i am fine..."  
"but,your majesty..."  
"i said ,i am fine!"

"what is this noise?what have you done now my child?!"-otr limped in...he was not going to let her have her mental rest or distress, now is he...he found her methods to be sadistic or masochistic...and his efforts to prevent her from doing what she pleases,and in her own kingdom,made her hate him sometimes....he was not her fa...

"the bond...he wished to speak to me...now,he pretends he has no idea what has occurred upon that night...nights......oh, how i wish him dead,so that i may torment him!"  
"hel,cease those evil thoughts and poisonous tongue!what your father did was ...blasphemous...but, have you give it a thought,that he was not pretending to be unaware of..."  
"are you saying that he was ..drunk...?!"

  
she was sarcastic ,more than usual,but undeniably sad...  
otr shook his bald head and started cleaning her wound...  
"perhaps...i know him since he was a little boy...and that...that was not him..."

  
she pursed her lips and turned her head in a protesting manner..  
"when are you going to tell him?"-he asked after a minute or so .  
silence...  
"child,he needs to know..."  
"never!he.shall.never know ...of them...now, get out!"  
"but,my queen ?"  
"out.i said out...get out!"

again with shaking his head,otr closed the doors,and left her to deal with her hysteria.  
hel went directly towards the mirror she kept covering with veil ....until now...and turned sideways...already there was this small bump ,showing under her silver crimson gown...  
her instincts told her to reach for it protectively...  
"he will never find out...never!"


	35. The Reconnections

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dearest readers,after my browser falling dead ,i have lost the capability to check my grammar and spelling...if this is unreadable-i am so sorry!

"you came to me ,asking for my men,our people ,nonetheless ...asking of them to leave,leave all behind ...all what they have made with their own bare hands .when they started from nothing! worse! when they had to start anew....walking amongst the ruins your father,king Odin,left as a reminder...and now,i am to tell them,that they should walk directly into their certain deaths just as their fathers,and their fathers fathers did .and for whom?for asgardians?!the same ,merciless ,cruel beasts,who slaughtered women and children of jotunheimr.  
and now,here you stand,wearing their skin,insulting my eyes and the very basics of our realm.you should have not come to me,younger brother,for i shall not subjugate nor myself nor any of the Jotuns to Aesirs and their foul king."

Loki sighed.they had as merry discussions such as this prior.the purity of the snow and coldness followed him for the previous 90 days...and nothing was to be changed ....here,all glorified stillness ...trapped in its permanent ivariable state.white,blue....snow and storm...scurries and onfalls....all this will to remain as such for centuries to come...the scent of the snow,if there was one,or perhaps it was just him imaginating it,was very dear to loki...but not to his counterpart.oh,william had had enough of the political accusations and the numerous verbal challenges that spinned around and around ,within this round table of thick ice.

and is this to last,for nonrs know how long,since the days were not as even here as they were in Asgard or,...Niflheim.the mentality of the jotun race was as equal to their winters...rigid.

"helblindi"-he was exasperated now,utterly acrimonious,for the mortal among this beings from the tales, only yearned for the conclusion.he was not the one of them and he did not hold their time...here ,loki was getting more stronger by the minute....and loki wanted to destroy...destroy asgard.

-"for the n-th time,i am not here to ask for your ...our people to die...but ,for a chance that others may live.you know of svartalheimr,and their curious powers...and now they possess thor s hammer,so do not let this words leave the room.it is already too much at risk.please ..."

-he spreaded his long arms across the table,and hellblindi lifted his head...this was not the Loki he knew....his smaller sibling appeared ill in body and mind ,tired and lost,torn between them and us...and perhaps... it was a weakness from his side,but he sought after for Loki to stay here ,here where he truly belongs and where he would not be mocked or forced to wear that ugliness,that suits only the barbarians of the north realm.

"...what s done is unfortunately done,and can not be repaired,but the future...the future...can...if you sign a truce pact,you would be known as the first king of jotnunheimer who refused to extend the wars and bloodshed and who brought the peace not only here but within the nine.we are all one...we all belong to the Ygdrasil tree...i have seen wars of all kind ...brother (by that william meant ,both the two great ones that painted the 20th century in black and all those he heard about or participated in , after he arrived here).

"my looks should not affect your decision...your right decision,for then you are just as the same as they are...those primitive and shallow men and women i encounter and am surrounded with every day .but in my naivity,i have planted a hope in my heart ,both that they can alter,and that...jotuns can alter, as well.however,that means that one side should take the frist step. "

"and we are to be that side?why not Asgard?"-the blue creature spoke deeply,inhumanly dragging words,and yet loudly and quickly...it was not convenient for the ear of the ex midgardian...

"thor has sent me to bring you this document... a symbolic document... so ,you may conclude that the Asgard stepped froward first...even if it is committed somewhat in arrogance."

the jotun king scratched his strong chin with those purple claws of his...loki was ,indeed irritating him,but he spoke the truth.ther was no debating his brother...

"i shall take your words cautiously,but i am to promise nothing.in the meantime you are more than welcome to enjoy the splendors of our unpolluted land.jotuns did not interfere in the nature so that they may build or create.we are one with it.not like your...preciouss aesirs who are raping the very essence of it so that they could make ships and weapons!"

helblindi was walking backwards into his classic malice.listening to any more political monologues,was overmuch ...the younger man approached his half-brother and landed his hand upon others large shoulder.even in this position, where he was the one standing,the jotun was watching him from above.loki s hand started turning blue...this color was now spreading to the rest of his body,and his brother smiled.for peace...

 

 

....................................................................

t was a custom to have one hour a day spent in the presence of the queen...today was scheduled with the art of knitting .  
her son was sound asleep,finally....for lucien was a bundle of mercurial temperament and action.  
Valera would most likely join him in the blissful realm of the dreams,but how could she reject Frigga?no one has adopt her so heartily before.she was trained to be inferior to all,until she herself started believing that her true position was ,truly a more insignificant one than the ones of the men,other women or...her mother...

at present,she was at some point, indeed ashamed ...her confidence grew...her confidence actually abided...her own views ,believes and judgments of the,not only those insignificant issues , but also fundamental ones were greeted warmly.she has found her worth,or rather...still was discovering it ...as a token of a gratitude or ,a sign of an elementary culture,she was to spend this hour or so,talking about subjects every loyal wife and lady of the court should have in her little finger.  
Valera could quote this specifications and topics by heart,not to mention the queen...the words were spoken lightly,an elegant laughter was being exchanged,but...  
they were not truly connecting nor opening to the other .both women were only to well adjusted to the unwritten ideals of the land,both not desiring to push beyond the border of the no-return.Valera recently started smiling,and it was mosty becoming of her ,exposing her inner beauty through the outer one.

oh,the kind queen did intended to ask the girl of her union with Loki,but it could be too soon....she shall give her more time.but the elven maiden seemed joyful ,and that was purely the work of her son.Frigga smilled again and nodded to something that Valera said,but was not giving her the whole attention....her attention was not pulled in by the strong pulsating sound waves ....which were spreading from that ...plant?no ,for it was not the plant....raising instanly and leaving Valera confused,the older woman removed the plant only to see the stain on the carpet.  
how is it possible that she has not noticed this sooner?

"what is this?"  
valera lifted her skirt a bit so that she may walk without tripping over it and approached carefully,as if she was being accused of sometihng.as if she was unsettled ...both in her tidiness and mind...what would the mother of her husband think of her now?  
that self esteem was now rapidly fading...perhaps she was too tired to clean this,and within the passable time she merely forgot of it.

"it appears to be a wine stain,my queen".

frigga then kneeled and smelled the red circle .  
"it is no wine..."-her voice was cross.it was a voice that could not be related to a rose like queen, valera had a pleasant converstion few moments ago.  
"did you knew of this,valera?"  
"no,no i..."

as she saw Valera actually fearing of her sudden mood change,frigga relaxed her expression and made a sound of silence,a finger upon her lips. the girl immediately obeyed,lowering her arms and hands,standing silently.  
then next step was fairly an easy one,with frigga s gift of the precognition,she was to acknowledge the past of the objects just by reading their energy s signature...  
she closed her eyes to see...

"show me how you came to be..."-she chanted,as the vision from the few months ago strongly formed within her third eye...and what she saw was,the very set of the events that ocurred...adyssa spilling the original potion,and replacing it...and loki being her an indirect victim....  
her eyes snapped open-"oh,no!"


	36. Losing My Faith ...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this computer issues are making me crazzzzzzzzzzzy!arh!so sorry!  
> this video is to be blamed for the errors ; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeooEpZlkTo  
> edith/thomas-crimson peak -pretty when you cry

"does it not bother you,my king?"  
her mellow, hoarse voice and warm breath against his ear made him grasp something that was unspecified until now,and something he has not found the time to value more before .for it seems he was forever to be in a rush...always riding into the (victorious) battles,compensating loss to his people,contributing to his men and brothers by weapon,and,he was forever to be in the service of his subjects...as it should be.he murmured to himself.

a validative an excuse for him,to either participate in the feasts among feasts or sit upon that uncomfortable over-exaggeratedly decorated throne ,or to dangle his head during all those blank speeches coming from those who consider themselves to be suited to write the laws in his name...no,he could not find any hour to spent .every minute was someones life or had its worth in coins...but now...now...sif opened the gates to something he was refusing to see...delibertelly or not...

his dear friend fandral died...but he could not put a blame upon himself for that.he died a warriour s death and is now probably smilling and bathing in the river of mead,that runs through entire valhalla.hogun went to vanaheimr ,as his duties required, so that he may protect his own realm,and volstagg had family to take care of.it was only reasonble that they were somewhere,but here...

oh,but sif...in his nothingness,he saw her ,upon her mighty stallion,marching in the swarm of those white monsters ...waving her sword as she widely beheads them... and in the end letting out one loud trimuphant roar...like a valkyrie...forcing all the hard headed men to finally recognize her capabilities and rightfully give her what she deserves...an equal treatment,a respect.thor gave her his a long time ago,and yet it was not enough.she let her cat like eyes to speak for themsleves,while she kept her tongue still.she was a person of an actions ,not meaningless philosophizing.as much as he was...but she demanded more.and when he was to see,he was blind,and now,he ...sees....was this a sarcasm,an irony loki was mentioning?

without being asked to do so,sif was now in a role which was in the absolute contrast to her (previous) believes ,but was the one she chose or ,to be precise she made for herslef.wielded it to fit her (needs).despite her poor education,lady sif was now a high counselor...his counselor.and he would lie ,if he was to say he was not amused,flattered,,and ...glad...one word from her beloved ruler and she would appear... her quick determined and very recognizable steps....always sounding both energetic and fresh as if she had no need for any kind of a rest.  
...dear sif...he was a fool....true friends are recognized in the times of a greatest misery and she has proven herself to be one...or more...

"what sif?"  
"that liesmith...!"  
he lack of respect for his brother would often irate him,but he was also accustomed to it.however,she needed to know her gounds.  
"sif..."-he warned.their coverstion usually was somewhere in between an adolescent quarrel and political correctness,but mostly short ,intense and distinct.for these two were people of honor and clarity.while on the other side of the rainbow bridge sat loki and hel...

 

 

sif bowed her head,her long dark brown hair falling across her lovely heart shaped face.  
"i ,am sorry .forive me,my lord."  
"thor!"-that gimace under his beard was the one she waited for the whole day.her heart enlarged , eyes sparkled as the early morning sun and then the genuine smile appeared,but her tone hid it well.

"thor....thor,i believe Loki is playing some kind of a game.although,i would rather use an another phrase..."  
"what phrase?"

"treason,my lord !"-her tone was now back to serious,and the man she could not divert her hazel eyes off,understoodthat there shall be no closeness among them,or ,at least not for now,for this accusations could spread its roots ,not only within the courtiers, but the whole realm.

"sif!you are not to repeat that again,not even if it is a jest!"-he heoped it was merely that.

"no!for it is not!he is known for his tricks,but what, if his biggest one is yet to come?he can use his lies to try to convince us that he works for the benefit of asgard.while,in reality his plans lays elsewhere.what if his single purpose is to conjoin with the jotuns?it has been more than eight months.eight months,thor!  
you can not possibly believe his word that ,even the king of the frost giants is so stubborn.the peace pact should have be signed within a month.mark my words...when i say ,they both are turning against you.against all of us!"  
his face was now red ...and that massive fist of his was clenching tightly...too tightly...you could hear the bones cracking.

he wanted ,no he had a right to call for guards and tell them to drag this wench immediately to the dungeons .to whip her for her insolence,for her slandering unless...what.if.she.was.right?loki was an enigma.an insincere to the others and in the way they saw him.often quiet,hidden in his inner fortress made of lies... maybe he blinded Thor according to his own plans...Thor wore his heart upon his sleeve,and his younger brother could use any of his disadvantages to his advantage.he counted on thor s predictability ,and thus he used his magic ,in the most righteous manner,so no one would point fingers and accuse ,later on ,for he was saving the king...while simultaneously wounding him.maybe he hated thor as much as he did odin...odin?what if his father did not die out of an old age,but...?  
sif was eyeing him through his inner struggle...  
she was right!she knew she was...and now he did also.

he snapped back from his dark thoughts and this new awareness ,as he remmbered she was still here.silently he waved towards the doors,and she comliped by leaving.

the king of asgard...the blind king in hisan aureate armor,in his grand castle , in his golden realm...a king who could not see or enjoy neither of this ...a king whose brother stabs him in the back and the woman ...who finds him to be a fool...  
\------------------------------------------------------

meanwhile,on the other side of the palace, the white queen ,dressed accordingly to the hour,in her long one sleeved yellow dress ,paced nervously in her room,...those ornaments on the colorful carpet seemed as if they were melting into malevolent faces...she could not stare at them anymore so she lifted her head ...oh,the ornaments on the wall were no better.this illusionary tricks were her companion when she got upset.once more she had every right to be.  
was this the beginning of the ragnarok,then ?if her suspicions were to be proven true...  
that dire elf women, adyssa was not trustworthy...frigga sighed.her intuition never betrayed her.but of course,she shall investigate her,discreetly ...and later...but for now...

her steps led to the mirror...which complemented her full longs curls,but she was not here to gaze upon herself.the vanity other ladies had,was but an abstract concept to her.  
Frigga touched the cold surface of the mirror and let her seidr flow ,brightly and luminously into it...it started darkening... her reflection was lost and was replaced with the black background...after a while,she was looking into the room alight with the single purple candle...  
"hel!"-she called out.  
nothing signified anyone to be near by.

"hel!i know you can hear me,i wish to speak with you urgently!"  
"what!?whatever do you want?!"  
her voice was a voice the one of a girl with who carried the world upon her shoulders...and her non-grandmother fear of what was behind it...  
"hel step to the mirror,please."

"no!leave me alone! have i no right for peace?not even here?!"

"i am ordering you as ,a queen of the nine realms,hel!"

after some reconsidering herl,whispered:"wait.."

her darling pale granddaughter showed herself in this almost non existing light more thinner, paler than ever and was keeping herself on her feet by holing on the chair.what did not skip Frigga s sharp sight was this very wide robe,she wore.

the goddess of family and love breathed in before she asked this of hel;"take the robe off!"  
"what,.no,by no means!"  
it was an inescapable situation,for the queen knew.the raven haired girl has closed her eyes before the fact,that she is never to be entirely free,but she had to form that vision within her mind,or she would perish.

"hel...do as i command..."  
no escaping,whatsoever...

on brink of tears ,hel was unbuttoning her black woolen robe with her head high and let it slid to the floor.

"in the name of Norns ..."-the other woman gasped,s hels swollen belly appeared.  
neither of them said anything for ten drops of water,but the queen would leave her land only to be next to this forsaken child and to give her an embrace of love she desperately craved for....

"how long are you...?"  
"almost nine months..."-she wispered,her hate lost ,making a passage for her true emotions to climb onto the surface.

"do you require anything? any clothes,books..."

frigga's ,maternal instincts hit again and yet she felt nexplicably useless right now.and she wanted to help...needed to...

"no!no i do not wish anything neither from your or anyone from that place!i despise Asgard,and all of you with it ,for not even you are any better.i can not tolerate your hypocrisy! sending me here,both you and ...him...and now you hid behind the benvolent mask of a loving family member .to muspelheimr with you all!"

that moved her more than she would like to believe and Frigga was crying now herslef...  
"oh ,my dera...how wrong you are...i am not leaving you alone like this...?"

"hahahaha! it is far too late for that! never speak to me again!"

"what of Loki,?he has a right to know!those chldren need their father!"  
"oh,do not fret,for they shall have one!"

"what does that even mean?"  
hel snapped her fingers and the mirror fogged, only to reflect Frigga s gentle features and long bronze curs again ...  
"hel?!"

 

 

 

 


	37. Times Such As These...

someone else would make a festivity out of this ,out of her predicament.something to avert the attention of the courtiers from the fear that the upcoming war was spreading ,onto something more...entertaining.such as the public execution.adyssa,who often whined and complained about the shadow of the misfortune that followed her since the day one,was indeed a very fortunate individual.she would desire and she would get it on the silver platter.she would commit a murder and she would be escape the worst price ,other paid with their own lives.frigga,was not one of those blue bloods with no heart ,a so called ripper among her subjects.some ruler would kill their own ,only to prove their might. to stabilize the unstable basics upon which their reign is positioned. a true man can show mercy.t was not only a saying between those who suffered from those above them.

after listening to mostly un unamusing pathetically web of lies in which valera s mother has gotten herself tied up to,she once more had a choice to be that strong female counterpart to a king,asgard was so accustomed to,or what she was in her very core...a merciful ruler.all sides were obligated to be listened to,and carefully before ,she is to bring forth the verdict.

after dismissing the accused one,in four eyes,she had the honor to hear the true tale of a horrific way valera was killed by her mother.the young princess wept the whole time,for she was ,a truly misfortunate one...she spoke of how adyssa seperated her and fandral, a man who was her true love...solely so that she could obtain the title she was so eager for.

targeting the highest rank,the lethal arrow missed the king,for his mate was already present.so she pushed the obedient girl towards figga s younger son.all along the queen had a very dangerous enemy ,right in front of her,but she was a person who believed in the goodness of others.she belived that if they are presented with enough of kindness and respect ,that one day they shall learn to forward those gifts to another.but frigga failed with adyssa...this particular woman had no love within her.what was she to proclaim?by the law ,adyssa was to meet the fate of valera,but ...not even the tortured girl wished to see her mother dead.if frigga did not know better ,she would swear that valera was her child.they were so alike...

"adyssa feylinn ,you had a honest welcome when you arrived to seek a suitor for your daughter.yes?"

adyssa s cat like crystal eyes were wider than normal and her skin was now pale.being confronted ,directly and vocally about her misdoings was a new sensation.and a gutrecthing one .she wanted to dissapear...was she ashamed?well,of course she was ,but of the fact that she was caught .and handed to the queen...and by who?her own daughter,who,coldly stood by Frigga's side watching her from above as if she was some kind of a villain! how could she?after,all adyssa did for that spoiled,unthankful bastard?!

"your majesty,the welcome both valera and i received was more than we could ask for.we are endeslly gateful for it..i think of Asgard as my new home,and i..."  
"so you do not wish to leave it?  
"why,no,your highness.if i could i would be even buried here."

"so,you find yourself to be a rightful citizen of this realm,and yet you have brought your cruel intentions and despicable lies to it!"

"no,...i would never..."

"then why have you caused hurt to your own child? a princess of Asgard,to be more accurate .by separating her from her loved one in such a ruthless manner and then manipulating her to marry my son?or...the time when you spilled the dragon wine in her chambers and replaced it with the...that does not matter now...."-frigga seemed lost then...the sight of little hel gave her a slight shiver,but she shook her head and her eyes landed on the silver haired woman again.  
their distinctions did connected them in a way,made them similar...they both shared fears and an unsolved problems,however Frigga knew that adyssa shall find her way to crawl out of the out of the whole she is to be send to.she always does.

the elf lady was facing the floor,and trying to look as humble as she could:"i did not know what was in the bottle,your highness...please trust my honesty,for i only sought for Valera s necklace...other belongings were not of any interest to me.i would never steal..i meant take something unimportant..."

"unimportant?! oh,adyssa faylinn,if i did not have any self composure,you mark my word upon this,i would run down to your side and slap you! nor you are aware of the consequences of your actions,nor you care,for you place yourself first !howeverm, soon you are to experince them!"  
two eleven maidens were startled by this ununderstandable change in the queen demeanor.

"what you did,you reckless woman,you have sentenced us all to our doom.!i therefore i want you to be gone within an hour.take what you find most valuable to your empty soul and leave the city.you still may stay waiting the relam,but outside the borders of the palace.now go!"  
\-------------------  
the bifrost portal has closed,and the large hemisphere stopped rotating.the familiar sight of hemidalr ,ancient asgard in the distance and the space surrounding it didnt seemed quite as friendly as he thought it would.this unfamiliar and hostile chill overwhelmed his being.there was also this an unforgiving look from the gate keeper that pried out those feelings from within him.  
"my prince."  
"good day heimdalr.long time...was it not?"  
"indeed.however,it seems that your long stay in jotunheimr has proven itself to be a fruitfulone."  
"yes and no.helblindi has his condition,of course...but he did sign the bloody paper."

the guardians powerful eyes traced the tall concerned man as he turned his back on him and started slowly leaving...  
"t is my duty,your highness to warn you..."

it was not a duty,but a genuine sympathizing.one thing a gate keeper would not admint,nor under the cruelest torture...that he had a sympathy for loki.  
"yes?"

"yes,you shan't be greeted as you expected...our king...has changed,i would be very careful if i were you."  
"i....thank you,heimdalr."

those green emeralds become lighter and he exchanged a silent gratitude.a small gesture that shall stay among them.  
one of the significations the golden eyed watchman possessed was honesty,and righteousness...he loved his king,his friend of once.but even when Thor does a mistake,he can simply ignore this, nor avert his gaze of wisdom.there were times when duties did not made a difference,and such were those times....the war was arriving,nidavelir and alfeheimr were lacking in both men and weapons...soon his realm is to follow and then,he is to choose ...in these times the king he is obeying must not be a fool...a blind man...  
and he knew...he knew...that centuries ago,a ray of white light entered Loki s body,a body of his former enemy. the vicious,savage,cruel and unstable jotun prince died upon that day...he saw it...and told no one....he had his reasons....  
for heimdalr ,to see all was both blessing and the curse.

as he saw now that the jotun prince is being surrounded by the guards...

 

 

 


	38. Not A Surprise...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> sorry spelling thingy still sucky

\---------------------------  
"you are a traitor and a liar!so you have not only killed my father...our father to get the throne,but now , you are forging a treason against me!does the power mean so much to you and your own blood so little?!"

this heart piercing words echoed in his mind...he was brought to the cell a week ago...thor was raging,as were the thunders outside...a storm like no other...how low has he fallen...and sif...by his side ,impersonating a statue,he concluded.

as if she was a queen already ...this was her doing,no doubt.she was a pure...,moron...and an oxymoron...strong upon a field yet weak when it comes to bringing those grey cells to collaborate...as was her beloved...both of them morons...they are to proclaim a war against jotunheimr...now when the deal was done.loki s arguments were overheard...frigga's pleas were overpowered with her sons yelling...he was a rightful heir,no one was above him...and loki shall spend the rest of his days within this four walls...with his seidr bounded...thor was blinded by his rage and the shocking revelation that he was not worthy outside the battle...a wise king would rule despite his injuries,while thor was truly in the blackness now...confused.well,luckily he had his maiden to keep him company,loki growled.  
upon the first few days he punched the walls,demanded to see the king...the guards ignored him...mocked him...frigga was not allowed to see him,nor was valera...and lucien...sleipnir...hel...what of hel...he bit back his tears,for those heavy steps of a men who hold the spears and swords were constant.they needed not to see him cracking apart.

but one person did see him..a person whose gaze has no limitations...heimdalr...he spoke with his non-mother...loki was more valuable than Thor would want to admit...especially during the upcoming war...his seidr was not supposed to be restrained.she gave him her orders ,which were not to reach the ears of her deluded son....a light appeared within the cell...a blue and purple vertigo with stars inside ...a portal...to where...loki saw one to many to recognize them immediately...and he knew ...he felt...frigga has sent him her protection.  
"go now..."-she whispered...so he was not wasting any time and entered the light....

 

  
\------------------------------------

sleepless nights...hazardous days....hel would rest her eyes for only too long during her duties...she was dangling upon her throne of steel as the souls waited for their trials...the children were restless...her body begged her for the dreams or the nightmares...it did not matter...but it needed its time to heal...

little fenrir and jormungandr...and she...she was a young mother,and a physically fragile one...jorumngandr arrived first...even in her womb he was enormous...while giving birth to the serpent child ,her spine was horrendously twisted and now she had to use a scepter or a stick to walk.no magic would do any good.only her body had to win this one over.it was an ironically enough that she was half dead...the question remained how much will she heal ,how long would it take and will she heal at all...

but that first time...when she lied on the bed in so much boold...she saw the servants taking her sons away...the serpent struggled to get from the hands of the maids and to return to his mother...his eyes...his wonderful green eyes...they knew who she was and loved her....and she loved him...them back....no pain could measure this new power within her...a power of love...  
jormungandr,it appears was a sick child,and while her sorcerers and healers gave little fenrir a shape of an aesir boy, for the majority of the time...jorumnadr would not shift...but they assured her that he shall talk and understand what was said to him...however he could not survive without a water .thus despite her river of tears, hel permitted those walking corpses to take her infant to the river on the hill...she wept lying on her stomach,for her spine was deformed and was turned within ,in a shape of half moon...so much pain all of the sudden...she was in no condition to take care of fenrir...nor to produce milk...he was fed by other women...and hel felt that the connection she hoped for ,shall not exist between her and her sons...

but as they grew she organized her schedule or completely burned it,so that she may be with them...little fenir would bit her,asked for the taste of the flesh,roar meat...he screamed ,and kicked and demanded and when he would get the desired thing,he would lost the interest...then jor would hear them playing and he would produce earthquakes and hissed ,he wanted his mother and brother...and hel would rush to him,carrying both fenrir and herself...the height of jor was feraful...he was as tall as a house within the first month...,but even though all avoided him...he was incredibly intelligent and tollerant towards them...and he loved fenrir...who barked at him,and attacked him...but in a playful manner...and hell would laugh and watch over them...her only joy...that is what they were.but she was healing too slowly and one more thing that stubbornly made a home within her mind ,was something otr said...the children need their father...  
one night she finally declared a capitulation...she had only one parent and the absence of another haunted her since ever...she shall not let her children feel as if they are forsaken and abandoned,alone,unloved...and ,she had a perfect candidate...

"fetch me fandral!"-she ordered and the deceased guards bowed and marched into the darkness...not much time had passed when the mute whipped slave was thrown on his knees ,his forehead touching the dusty stone floor,waiting for and absolution.

she dismissed the others and walked to him...  
he has noticed the stick,but he didn't even blinked.  
"how the tables have turned..."  
silence......  
"oh i forgot...you can not speak...pity...i have missed our little disagrements...didn t you?"

....

"by the norns,look at me,when i ask you a question!"  
slowly,carefully he raised his head ,his face was dirty now....she left him in the dungeons chained ,after that night of a purple full moon...he was an erased memory,no more...now,she could see the fruits of her vengeance....this was not fandral...or if he was...he was so very deep inside this sad figure...this lifeless mass of bones and wounds...not even he deserved this much ...was it incorrigible...

she felt sorry for him...he didnt felt for her....hel was was evidently deviantly hunched...had black bags under her eyes...and,yes.... he have heard of her monstrous offsprings...

"i have a proposition for you..."

she snapped her fingers and his lips were unsewn...immediately healing...he gasped for an air...it was ,but a mental reaction,due to the fact that if he needed oxygen in the first place ,he would breath through his nose...but the dead ones dont breathe...

"you are still mine...for centuires to come...you can spend them like...this...or you can get a new body and become my personal ...assistant..."  
he wanted to say something but...he realized that he forgot how to do so...he made some hoarse sounds and his throat hurt was like he chewed on glass...

 

"just nod or shake your head...it is alright..."  
she sounded sympathetic...that cunt!

"a b..bo..a body?"

"yes...a new body...a healthy body..."  
he was thinking it over...quite tempting...maybe there was a hole in this niflheimr s law -technically he would not be dead and he could run away ....  
"what kind...of...a...bo..body?"  
"an alfheimr..."

she stated plainly..."the dark elves attack the light elves,and despite how funny this game of light and darkness sounds ,for the people of alfheimr, it was a pure massacre...many many ...many died..."

"an elf...you would make me an elf?"  
"is there a problem?i think they are quite handsome and ..flexible...all that your conceited heart needs...or your huge ego..."

"why not an aesir...?"  
"there arent enough dead aesirs,for thor would not send his men to help the other races... and those who are dead are too old or too ...disfigured to function properly."  
"function..for what exactly?"  
"that is not of your concern ,at the time being...so do you agree...shall we seal the deal..,and promote you?"  
do it fandral,get away from this place...  
"alright..."

and that is how he took her hand as she sarcastically shook it.when she smiled ,he remembered that one should never make a pact with the devil...not even if he looks like little girl...for hel was anything but.  
"congratulations ,fandral...you shall receive your body upon the rise of the new moon.guards! take him to the dungeons!"

was he surprised by this...no...she was lokidottir ,after all....  
"oh, one more thing...this captain of the guard,alfheimr s guard...he is, well...he died few weeks ago,so he shan't be as fresh..."  
two guards pulled his chains ,but he stared at her,in disbelief.he has condemned himself !  
"you decieving witch!"  
"take him away !"


	39. The White Nothingness....

the portal closed itself with the sound of the water burbling.what awaited on the other side was anything Loki would have not predicted...a vast forest and the purple sky...live ,strong impressionistic colors that were surprisingly not that hard on the eyes ...inexplicably high trees, plants as large as a man...and,my word...was...was that bird above him in flames...or was it a...a phoenix?no,that's preposterous...or was it...for more of his kind...joined him in that anti gravity dance...leaving the fiery trace behind....

there was a also a river...not a wrecking,wild one,but a peaceful,soothing one...he could almost hear it ...singing melodiously ...and by the sounds...he listend carefully...somewhere near should be the waterfall...he was to anticipate something or someone to attack him by now...this realm was unknown to him....and would not fit into any description he has ever heard of.this was not nidavelir,nor alfheimr where all had its rules....nor it was earth...there was no logic here,no boundaries....which made him only cautious ...as he walked...the bushes and leaves moved aside,harmoniously and simultaneously granting him a free passage...all seemed to be in his favour until he made it to the clearing...there was a a cave,and in front of it a cottage made of straw and wood.a woman was there...preparing somehting in the caldron...the scent was not recognizable at first...but it was rich and appeasable...a soup perhaps...he forgot when he ate the last time...a soup was not the meal of the wealthy ones,but now it was a liquid of gold,in this situation.he would not mind it,one bit.something to warm his body and awake his tired soul...as valera would jest,but more so-advise him...yes,he was not recalling his wife...norns ,he hold onto his hopes that she was well...

"you do not need to call for us."-the woman said,still bending over a brown deep caldrom as she took a sip of twhatever was inside it .  
"mmmmmmmmm...a bit more salt...."-she murmured.

Loki raised his brows ,but was not completely sure if he heard it correctly....and before he even had the chance to open his mouth...

"you are not mistaken,for i have heard your thoughts...Loki odinson...or should i call you -william thompson...either way...it would be correct...althugh i must mention that your name means nothing here."

she finally straightened herself and turned to face him.

 

                 

 

she was a grey haired woman in her 50 ,both tall and slim...graceful and provincial in her manners...her long white ,long-sleeved dress,recalled the associations to the clothing of both the midgardian and alfheimr women of the dark ages.....her eyes ...her eyes were also white..but unlike to the eyes of the dark elves...this eyes glow the glow of the stars themselves...he had to avert his gaze...it was rather impossible to look at her delicate soft face.

"who are you,woman...are you a witch?"-he demanded courageously...whatever she was, he would confront her in any attempt against him.he had a good validate feeling that she was responsible for his arrival here.

"some may call me so....however,my name is skuld....one of the norns,as you have presumpted...you have been calling for us...and your mouths were full of foul words directed to our persona...curses....you think of us as the enemies,those who send only misfortune and disaster upon your path,and not as guidence,what we indeed are...true,we may get offended by this,but what made you so interesting to us is that ,no matter whatever we decided that shall fall upon you Loki,you always think of others foremostly ,neglecting yourself utterly.you are a good man....a good man with the wrong decisions....thus you have my pity, mortal creature and i cannot let you stay within your dark.i had to reverse Frigga s spell a bit ,and... bring you here."

loki controlled both his movements and facial expressions,refusing to make any sign of disrespect and respect for this woman.he was,in fact on the edge of absolutely hating her and others such as she,and being astonished with her presence....for she created the fate...the future...the past...the present of all beings....and she has chosen him for this little...shell we call it intervention...his feelings were not misleading him.he is to expect both praising and objurgating from her side.but ,nevertheless he was all ear.

"is this Valhalla then,for i have a hard time believing that it is so."  
she took her large wooden spoon and an another sip,steam hitting her ,yet she didnt mind it...yes, definitely more salt...but that can wait..."

what a constratic and strange way to present herself...as a commoner.  
"oh,what...valhalla...by us norns!"-she smiled..."no ,not yet...this is a border between the realm of dreams and valhalla...everything you see here is not real.it does not exist...and yet it does...for you see it and perceive it the way you understand it."

Loki nodded now in an acknowledgement.  
"yet, is this world equally material as it is non-material?i can touch it,smell it..."  
"quite.i am not just some harmless old woman cooking a potato soup.not even _your_ mind s capacity would allow you to comprehend my essece in its original form.if it was someone from museplheimer...he surroundings would contain more...fire..."

"am i to be cursed cursed,skuld ?what do you exactly plan to do with me or are you planning me to do?you said yourself ,that i am here for a reason."

"ah, famous game of words coming from the second son of odin...my dear Loki ,there is not a single being int the world that is as unique as you.and i do not refer to you seidr,but to your strength ,your inner strengh...in every time you have installed yourself within a body you would repeat the same mistakes over and over again.problems lies in the catastrophic consequences that would come out later.when you fall,you drag others with you.now i am offering you a possiblity to end all this."

  
"you are aware that i have traveled through time to correct what the past loki did.i am here to prevent the ragnarok from occurring!how can this be wrong?so far i have managed to alter almost all..."  
she shook her head...those long grey locks reminded him of the spiderweb on the wind...

"frigga and your son lucien were wrong...you are not in a position to undo our decisions ...the decisions we made in the time before time itself...you,who die...whose bodies are to expire,you are an impulsive creatures ,and you will not see the larger picture...for you refuse to do so.such a shame."

"what are you trying to say? i have married Valera,have i not?Thor is the king,hel is..."  
"all that shall to be set into an alternative version of itself...we had to revert to its basics...the universe has its laws.and you can not play the creator...for only he knows why is something the way it is."

"so,god wants us to suffer.is that it?!and you are only doing his dirty work?!"

  
"no...you...your soul wanted to suffer ,so that it may grow and one day return to its source.a god as you call him.how is a child to know the world if it is closed behind the walls of its home?it can not..it has to go out...then...many both of the good and bad shall happen to it...and the child will learn...how it shall react it is solely depends on him or her.we,Loki,we bring forth the events ...and yours is only to react accordingly to the laws of the universe..."  
loki laughed hysterically to that.  
"oh,is that the mystery of life?to be good,to bow your head to the evil around you and let yourself be subjugated and miserable ?"  
"do not twist my words.it is not about bowing your head,but about not to striking at another..."

"you mentioned the returning of this existence to it rightful path ...what.did.you.meant.by that?"

she clapped her hands twice ,and the caldron dissapeared....then the cave and the green around them , as well...and the sky in the end...now,they were in the white nothingness...loki turnded around , the whole circle,but there was nothing in sight except the two of them...

"so this your world.?"  
"no,this is the border,which you can not cross...what we did,you asked...loki,when you go back ,few things shall seem more familiar and.... disturbing."

"define disturbing! has someone died?"

"only those who died from the attacks of the svartalheimrs.and jouns are considering to join them.as well as the muspelheimrs...the restrictions Odin has placed upon those realm are not on a strength anymore.the dark elves shall use them as their pawns and mercilessly get rid of them  them afterwards.the giants are so easily influenced by their revenge that they stay blind at this.and thor...his soul is darkening...it is up to you to restore his sight...even if it the one of the heart and not the eyes.to do so you are to use the stones at any cost...even if you take the throne one day."

loki didnt heard her...  
"if this is true, then this is the beginning of the raganaork!i do not believe helblindi would allow this.i know loki s .... _my_ brother...we just signed the truce...!"  
"when you arrive to asgard...you are to be 2000 years in the future.time is very relative here...it goes both ways."

" what!2000 years...are you beyond madness ,woman!?bring me to the day upon which you took me from the cell! now!"

"you are not the one to demand anything from me,mortal creature.when you stepped in the portal,you made your decision...your absence in such a long time was mostly needed...now all runs it course and you are allowed to return."  
"you like toying with us ,do you not!?my children...what happened to them...i should kill you for this...or at least try!"

the green seidr was glowing from his hands and he was prepared to do something no one ever did...  
"do not bother...i am not truly here...this is but an illusion ...and your children are alright and they live...all five of them..."  
"five?"  
the portal opened again...


	40. Those Who Are Misguided....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i have chosen for fandral...new fandral s body to be the one of the evil elf prince nuada from the movie hellboy 2.a lil tnx to mr. del torro for making crimson peak.fan was thranduil in the nordic tragedy,but now...his host is dead...so...he looks the way he does...ben barnes is fenrir again,and yes grammar sucks..i have barly put the pic,and had to rewrite this few times...it was earsed...just...f...!sorry...

 

2000 years which were in the realm of asgard counted as 20,did not leave a trace upon hel,thanks to her Jotun heritage . her biological aging process has dramatically slowed down,thus now in her early 20s ,she could be easily mistaken for a sister to her son(s).unfortunately ,in way she was.however she did all within her power to keep that scandalous detail a secret .for all they knew,they were raised with their mother...and father...

and they were safe within this dark kingdom,far from the eyes of the " ordinary " men and women who would ,in their fear and lack of understanding savagely attack the young boys. hel related to them ,feed them with the tales of how the heartless king thor had trapped them here,for he had  lost his conscience upon the day he lost his sight .this was told instead of the classical night time stories...she wanted to transfer her anger and hate onto them...she wanted them to despise all that was connected to the realm which  was the closest to the valhalla.she spoke of his even more evil brother,the well known sorcerer Loki.hel s father....in her version,loki was ashamed of  both  her and her sons....

in her mind that was the only truth .a truth that could not be denied.as the boys shivered with their large eyes,wrapped around each other,she hoped to reach not only to their ears but their hearts.did she succeded?she knew not ..not for certain,since is jormungand was often too quiet and observed the situation from more angles,while fenrir would do things opposite of what  he was told. time shall tell...

after loki s mysterious disappearence,the spies of mror ,gladly informed their leader of this new events.as a strategically and an intuitive planner,the svaratlheimr s leader predicted quite correctly when he said that Thor will sign his personal death.his loathing of all he thought to be beneath him and by the way he offensively rejected to establish the coalition with the jotuns or muspelheimrs ,only led to those same races to turn towards mror.asgard was like a dog that barks but do not bites...and they would listen to that barking no more.

mror now only required the alliance with the apocalyptic realm ,which darkness could be measured with the one of svartalfheimr s.the realm of hel angrbodadottir had always intrigued him...what was to be a stone for some,for him it was a gem...and,.he was a very patient man.according to the very lush rumors ,he had to approach the little queen very delicately...he had waited for centuries to see ,shall hel forgive and rejoin with her family,or shall she turn her back to them.she had chosen the last....and he had ,at last finally decide that it is time for them to redesign the yggdrasil tree....

............................................

"enough! all of you,pathetic worms! am not to listen to your  whining no more ...enough is enough!"

fenrir heard his young mother screaming at the new souls .it must have been for the 7 th time this week only .the news arrived upon each day...although a day was a relative term here....frigga never let hel to stay in the shadows completely ,as she promised the girl,yet ,hel has not dignified herself to respond to her not even once... the dark elves,along with their new-found allies were sought the destruction of the realms of the dwarves,the light elves,vanaheimers ,and now they started with the bloodshed in Asgard.nothing was sacred to them. the dead ones never stopped arriving and hel s day was unbearably short for all that was considered to be  her duties...to send all of them to their finally destination or to the torments...once she even mixed all the scrolls and almost gave back a murderer his life,while the peasant who did no harm, was ina danger to  face the 1000 years of drowning...again...and again... and again...fortune it was that her friend and servant otr was there....

he had  helped with fenrir s and jormungandr s education.recently his sentence ended and his soul flied to the moon and beyond... that was a rare sight,truly,and fen felt a natural exploratorie desire to go above borders of this land.his brother never protested or complained to anything...he accepted his fate and lived peacefully in his grey river.fenrir s guts truned at that...how could he?the fate is what one creates for himself! jormungandr,unlike his younger brother was closed deep within his egregious being...he could practiced magic,yes...but there was not much for him to do besides.... hel feared that he would become bitter and grew to hate them... he rarely came out to the surface and she knew very well what was the reason for this ...he was ashamed of himself....oh ,yes she feared ...that he shall become more like her. and she also knew who is to be blamed for this dividation! no one other than Loki ! whatever he did...whatever spell he used to give her a child....it affected the fetuses...and her children were not destined to be normal.for that loki must die!

fandral s circumstances were not an exception here...uncommon ,as well....when this raven girl gifted him with a corpse of an alfheimrs capatain , he wanted nothing more than to break her thin neck...he would spite his queen whenever he managed ...oh,she wanted a personal servant? someone to kneel before her?to kiss her boots? someone to mock ?! however,when she explained the true nature of his new task,he was confused.beyond words...for that was the hindmost thing he expected .and from her,nevertheless...to help her raise two sons...and,a warriour such as he,he knew nothing of the matters of  the children.he imagined himself to be a father sometimes...but,with valera by his side...singing to their son.... it was mostly peculiar and uncomfortable...pretending to be a father to this boys, especially when his original plan was to escape...he felt like a an intruder,a thief...and they looked at him with those large green eyes...at first,he was distant and refused to show any feelings towrds them....they are lokis sons,remember that.

"i want to be just like you papa.when i grow up".

fenrir said one day ....jormugandr lowered his head and remained quiet...he could never be like his father ...and something cracked inside fandral.perhaps that block of ice around his heart.he hugged them both .

"Do not be like me,my...sons...be the very best what you are meant to be."

it was not much...but to them...it was everything. the influence of that movement helped jor and fen to grew up as a separate individuals...fandral was to them,what odin was to thor...an idol.and while the relationship between the twins brothers is and shall remain strong and pure,they went the separate ways...jormungadr choose the silent path ,a reticent path...the path of the knowledge,not violence,even though he was able to destroy the whole village with the one swing of his tail...his mother would visit him at night,at the river side...she sang and he listened...they connected on an emotional ,deeper level.fenrir was extroverted and passionate...and fandral recognized himself in the boy...they became close...and he was proud of what a skillful swordsman fenrir ended up to be.but, a lie it would be if he denied himself that he had not dreamed of valera... and lucien... who could have been be his son...but if Loki has taken them from fandral,by the Norns,he shall take loki s family from him. who could have been be his son...

while hel held her speeches as a judge of mort ,fandral and fenrir would usually have their own father-son spearing time.and as the legs and back of an older man sufferd couse of their previous wounds,and time,the boy was only getting faster ,and sometimes more violent. in between the sounds of the swords clashing, they heard hell s fast steps...she seemed furious...which was not uncommon...

"how many of them ,had arrived upon this glorious day,mother?"-fenir asked,and she could swear that he was teasing her...

"around 5000...and why,pray tell is this day a glorious one ?"

"i have beaten father...again.thus i do believe i am ready to go to the upper worlds.and before you say nay again,may i remind you that i am old enough to...."

"well...nay!do not think that i shall let you leave! you are still very naive and careless...besides it is to dangerous...the dark elves..."

fandral lowered his sword...

"hel,what has happened?"

"a letter...from mror!"-she said.

 

 

   

 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------

within all this time she stoically accepted all that thor threw at her...

rejections,vulgar terms...he called upon her heritage...her non royal heritage to just  malversate her and make her feel as a lesser creature.not even a person. and she said nothing.only bowed,and kneeled and marched into the battles for him...where was the remorse upon his face?when shall he acknowledge her?accept her? her devotion for him?when?

however,so she stubbornly waited...but all her hopes that he shall marry her,have fallen like the drops of rain onto the dead soil...he had bedded her,but never shared the gestures of kindness or any proclamation of love.he was a warrior ,she reminded herslef.it does not beacome him to speak of his hearts wishes...but centuries pased...and thor stopped calling her to his chambers...other women,younger women took her place...and sif,now in her early 40's experienced the ultimate betrayal...it was no secret that she wanted to be a mother...so she payed a visit to eir...eir was soon to retire from her position of a royal healer,but she welcomed sif with a warm smile...it was undoubtedly something of a great importance,for the brave woman was exceptionally sceptical when it came to those who use seidr ...sif trusted only her instincts ,and what she could touch and see...the smile from eir s face quickly faded away,when it was concluded that sif can not fall pregnant anymore.her time has passed in those bitter  years of an expectations... that killed her...for she was brave no more...she was small....alone...frozen in this nightmare with no way to run...she had nothing...and nothing to lose...

\----------------------------------------------------------------------

after losing his sight,he decided to compensate the might he would use on a field with the relentless dominance.after punishing all and any for the slightest disobedience or what he considered to  be a disobedience,the remorse for losing the very last ounce of his humanity has completely gone...was he free now? for it was to easy ...to care for no one...except for himself...and his homeland.

not even to care for his own mother.she ended up to be the greatest liar of them all,standing on the side of those who wanted to see him crawl....no one has yet hurt him so greatly...not even loki. when this deceiving usurpator of his mother beseeched her son to let her heal him ,or to be  more accurate -to use her blasphemous magic against his sanity,she has finally stepped over the last fragile  line of his tolerance ...

thor ordered for her to be locked away in the northern wing of the castle...when she is to leave depended upon his good will solely.he then recalled the other traitors that breathed down his neck...lokis wife and son ....should be thankful for the rest of their lives that he only banished them to Midgard. as for loki...if he ever returns...that nefarious..shameless...poisonous snake that he is ...thor shall have his heart ripped of his chest and fried  it over the fire....odin was right....his father was the only person he could trust.so this was for him. this was the single  thing thor could to  bring asgard back  to its previous glory and to restore the honor he had  lost while  being loki s puppet. odin would  surely want to establish the absolutistic monarchy and to rebuild a powerful,impenetrable kingdom .a kingdom,who all shall fear....

this was for odin then...and himself...


	41. The Forest...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> editing in process...

"brother!brother!i have it !i've brought the very thing you have asked of me !"  
there was a black shadow ,a massive figure beneath the river s surface moving towards him .first ,the two eyes as large as Fenrir himself ,appeared,followed by a dark green head....a wave splashed Fenrir when jormungdnr rose in all his greatness.

"you did that on purpose!"-yelled the swordsman.  
"how many times have i told you to be more discreeeet ,small brotherrrr...?do you wish for our mother to discover what you are about to do?"

fenrir practically pouted...  
"i do not care!now....,you asked for this rock,have you not?well here it is..."-his hand reached for a grey stone in his coat pocket.  
"i do not see any importance in this dull thing whatsoever."

the eyes of the serpent spreaded as he studied both the stone and his immature brother...  
"you are a very, very...limited in your perception,fenrir...for this is not a rock,at all,but one of the infinity stones...the power within it is strong enough to destroy the whole nifelheimr.and so it can .... open the doors into another realm."  
"hey! you did not just made a negative statement about my intelligence,have you?"-the raven haired asked swinging his sword in an attacking manner.oh,how sweet.  
Jormungand could not but to smile widely at the sight ...he was able to swallow the smaller person in the blink of an eye....regardless ,he said nothing....the humanoid brother was and shall remain a grown up child...and times mattered...he knew fenrir well.he was to argue for hours...quite unreasonable,he was.

"fenrir"-jor asked then,eying him exceptionally seriously.  
"are you absolutely certain,you wish to proceed with this foolishnesssssssssss?"

"but ,of course... just imagine...to see what is beyond this everlasting night!oh, the tales i shall tell you when i return...i wish to see the living ,breathing men and...women...to see the sun...i will finally see the sun...and the adventures....battles...all this awaits me when i get to Asgard."  
"no..."  
"pardon?"  
"i.shall.not.send yout to the land of our enemies..."

"do not start! you are sounding like mother!i would never get my hands up on that...stone if she was not holding an urgent meeting with the dark elves...i do not desire to be a part of this political machinations...do you.?i do need to reason with you or,for you are alarmingly close to become only to similar to her."  
"hhhhmmmmmmmmm..."

disturbing....hel was to negotiate with the leader mror...if they truly do unite, their armies... then ...there shan't be a prevention of their own destruction...asgard will fight back....there was no question about it...and his dear brother will be in danger....even though,jor never feared for himself...he was not afraid of dying and was more than willing to close his eyes forever...the thought of Fenrir closing his...and that would be very unavoidable due to his restless self....that was something he could not except...

"alright,brother of mine...i ll do as you wish....but...when you arrive to ....when you arrive...you are on your own..agreed?"  
"agreed!"  
fenrir smiled charmingly,and jor s eyes saddened to that...perhaps this was their last encounter...  
"place the stone on the ground..."  
he was about to speak those ancient words...when fenrir interrupted ...smiling honestly...  
"thank you...i shall be fine...i promise..."  
"i know you ssssssssssshall..."  
the words of ancient made the grey rock light up in red flames .flames that contained no heat...flames that Fenrir took in his hands ,and flames that ,by wrapping themselves around his slim,masculine body replaced him in the most astonishing environment he has ever seen...  
\-------------------------------------------------------  
Valera was thrown into the wild ...into the savage world of humans...that smaller race which lived for killing,attacking,stealing,raping...few of them had any interest in culture,even fewer could even read...however, they were deeply fearful,superstitious...believed in the natural phenomena and found anything out of their normality to be an act of the dark entities...an elven maiden ,along with her hybrid son would be a jestingly easy tagert...dear frigga...she sent them her protective vibrations,masking their presence from to the eyes of the men...Valera who had barely held a knife before,now had to learn how to use it.properly.how to protect the two of them...her hands shivered by the thought of stabbing someone...to pierce through another's skin and flesh...but then she would look at the small child in the crib,and her confusion would lessened.if someone's even dares to lay a hand on lucien...

they stationed themselves in the large forest near the baltic sea.the vlllagers there would often speak of these magical creatures...evil cretures that seduced their women and ate their children...kill their men...so they would take a longer path around it...thus valera and her son were relatively safe there.alone...among this new flora and fauna...which was so very strange to her...she would often take Lucien and walk with him...they had to learn of this new home of theirs...to become closer with all...to listen to the language of the trees and waters...the culture and habits of the animals....

she heard that some of the habitants of the nine also found peace here...so she seeked them out...to find another Alfheim would bring a rest to her heart,for she had barely sleep at night...always cautious,always cautious...with that knife under the pillow....  
she had no luck of meeting another of her kind...or any other...until one day,upon which ,the young Lucien did got himself lost while playing his little solo game of hide and seek...she searched for her son...through the whole forest...and returned to that small home of hers,under the roots of the large oak tree...he was always home before sunset nad now the bloody sky was peeking between the thick braches.....her eyes were red from all the tears...she was dehydrated and muddy...her skirt was torn ...  
there was a lit candle on the window...so someone was there,apparently.  
"Lucien!" she called out. ",Lucien!"  
when she entered the home under the hill...there was her son...eating a nettle bread and drinking cold water from the lake...and another person was sitting at a the table. a being similar to the citizens of nidavelir...a dwarf...or a descendant of a dwarf...this small man was shorter than the average nidavelirian,had a long grey curly beard ,round rosy cheeks and nose....he was smiling fondly at the sight of Lucien eating the warm bread...

"mother!"  
the boy yelled when he saw her standing there like a ghost...instead of an embrace he was so accustomed to ,she gave him a slap over a cheek.if she was never to be destined to exist in such a hostile environment she would never experience the urge to hit her son.but spoiling a child was not an option,and he had to remember not to repeat this again..  
"mama...".  
his eyes pleaded...begged for her to forgive...but his mother was serious...his hand caressed that burning red cheek...however it hurt her more than it did him.  
"where were you?you scared me to death!i ve searched the whole woods for you!what if...what if those men had caught you...."  
"i am sorry mama.."  
he whispered and ran to his room.he didn't want for his saviour to see his tears.

"tis alright,milady...the boy is still young and curious.i ve found him down the stream ,where he was eating berries...i offered him some of my bread instead."  
"you brought him home...i...thank you so much ,kind sir...who can i ever repay you?"

"roughlin is the name.i have a home ...me and the family ...in the field of mushrooms...we are quite safe there...and there is no need for repying.my oldest son did the same.i do share your concern.but i trust him that he shall be more cautious in the future."  
valera wiped her tears,and forced a smile...  
"may i ,at least offer you some of our famous wine from alfheimer?"  
the dwarf lifted his thick brows.

."now that is an offer,one is not to reject."

during their talk,valera questioned him of other non midgardian residents on midgard..such as the ones of her specie,....by the lack of fortune,he ,shook his head...  
"i am sorry,milady...but all the elvish groups,that i know of, either retrieved to the north ,or back to alfheimr... only some of us dwarfs or trolls is who you shall find here...but beware of those trolls ...they might harm your spirited boy."

she sighed...so there is not protection not even from her kind.this was a friendly visitor,but eventually he also returned to his home,never to be seen again.dwarfs didn't like elves so she was not surprised by this.what made her sit there in the dark,even after the candles run out , was a horrifying realization that Lucien and her are truly destined to be alone...  
..............................................................................  
.Fenrir could not hold back the urge to chew on all those  incredible green leaves or the colourful flowers...since they were inedible...for him...he would just spit them out...but all those vibrant colours and smells completely occupied him....midgard ...his brother lied to him...he had sent him here,but no matter,for this was something further than his  dreams reached...a poor realm...indeed .niflheimr was nothing in a comparison with this richness...as he sniffed the daisies, someone caught his attention.a small furry creature with the long ears...

"hello there, little one!"  
the rabbit stared at him as if he had lost his mind.  
"forgive me intrusion ,but can you tell me where is the nearest civilization.i seem to be lost here."  
just the continuation of the staring contest...  
Fenrir blinked...this creature didnt spoke .which was odd.fenrir believed that all animals do share the common language ...in the way he and his brother do.so he felt disappointed and started walking up to the north.the smells here were more alluring ...he could always lean on his senses.

outside the borders of the line of the trees, laid a small village.the straw and mud house was the closest,and the yelling from inside was more than anyone wanted to hear.evidently the drunken father was demanding from his daughter to bring him more liquor from the market,but she apologized due her duties ,such as  bringing the water from the lake .while he went on with his swearing,the girl quickly left him behind.she was rushing to the lake ,holding a large bowl....her hair was tucked behind that linen white cap,but her red curly locks were peering from beneath it.a hair of fire....  
fenrir could not deny that he found her both sweet and beautiful.she was the first breathing girl he has laid his jade s upon.yes,she was shorter than he,but she had that gentle soft curves,honey voice and freckles which he found to be mostly endearing.  
without relizing ,he was grinning again...when the girl arrive to the to the edge of the forest,she took out the cross she was hiding beneath her dress.it could be some sort of a protection spell of midgardians,he concluded...but from what ,or rather ,who?since he had not seen anything remotely  dangerous in there...  
she started filling her bowl...and fenrir was struggling not to approach her,but before he came with the final decision,someone else beat him to it.a tall young man appeared from absolutely no where,a thin air.he leaned and whispered something in the girls ear and she ceased moving.as the girl was kneeling there,letting for her predator to do whatever he wishes...

 

 

the man made few circle around her,smiling softly ,as he observed her.fenrir wanted to jump at him,but something kept him waiting.that man was not a midgardian.he was too pale,he had sharp fangs,and a long dark hair with silver higlights...by the looks of his ears,he could be an alfheimr,but they did not have teeth as so or that black veilon their head.he then did something absolutely unbecoming of the impression he was leaving.he was picking the daisies ...he actually was....and when he got a good amount of them,he placed them in the girl's hair.  
"lovely" -he said...and just like that ,he vanished...so, there was no spell included.fenrir saw how fast he was.the girl blinked few times and looked around.there was no one there,of course...only the sounds of her father...but ...those daisies...  
she threw her bowl away and ran back home.

  
"father!the forest spirit has attacked me yet again!"  
"what are you blabbering about?"  
\----------------------------------  
lucien stopped his own run when he returned to the safety of the shadows that the trees casted.he was still smiling as he had a sun in his hands...that girl was his sun...upon the day when he escaped his mother,back then, he saw this every village,and kept returning to this location.15years ago,he saw ,Primula (lat. daisy )for the first time...she was barely two...and he knew that one day he is to love her.if only she could love him...a despicable monster as he was...  
then ,there was...clapping.someone was clapping.he did not noticed that a boy of around 20,of about his age ,was wickedly sniggering .fenrir was sitting on the log..feeling...jealousy,envy,amusement ...all in once ...plus the aversion for this concurrency of his...  
"you...you saw me?"-lucien asked.if this miadgardian had witnessed his abilites,he would have to...get rid of him.which he wanted to avoid at any cost ,for he found no thrill in taking ones life.  
"is this a courting ritual  ,here on midgard?becouse,my friend if it is ...it is obviously not working."


	42. The Returning(s)...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I DONNO Y,but this chapter is not visible as the newly updated one!

 

 

"what are you?"-lucien asked bewilderedly.he wanted not to conclude anything in advance regarding this man....but some details were hard to ignore such as...this starnge physical similarity.a strange coincidence,nothing more...he had to think logically.still,the uneasiness grew...

"i was about to ask you the same thing...leech-man".

fenrir responded as he chewed on an apple...he did not swallow it,but spat the chunk after he had enough of that sourness..this was still green,but he could not know that it needs the time to become ripe.  
what a waste of that fruit,the his half eleven brother thought bitterly.

"a leech man?"  
"a...blood drinker!i can smell it on you...i can tell just by your scent , what s your diet.you dislike the nickname, then...apologies...let us see...who else drinks blood...hmmm...a bat...no,no.no i do not wish to offend those magnificent animals by comparing them to a low ,poor fellow like you."

"i too have a developed sense of smell and it does warn me that you are a some sort of a carnivore."  
Fenrir grinned teasingly...exposing the line of his sharp teeth.

"i do not have a wish for a strife .i would ask you kindly to leave my territory."-even thugh,his movements were suitable,lucien was a visibily horrid liar.

Fenrir raised his dark brows feigning a surprise...which made Lucien tensing a bit more...the foreigner terribly resembled of him ,when he made that expression.

"oh your territory,is it?and not the one of your lady friend,hmmm?my sight doesn't fool me,friend,for nor she ,nor the other midgardians of this village have any knowledge of your pitiful visits."  
the way the long-haired man shot daggers with those feline eyes,made the young lycan jump on his feet feeling victorious and limitless...he had succeeded in making a whole in the defense of this closed one. not many have achieved the same ,obviously...

"so,a daisy for a daisy...primula....that is her name,no?"

"i would suggest that you stay away from her,you...you..vulgar ,primitive,unsophisticated creature! "  
"not so used to throw assaults?or im i wrong?"

"my mother taught me better than that!"-lucien was evidently unnerved but still as still as a tree beneath which he was standing.  
Fenrir was contradicting Lucien as he playfully walked around him ,trying to get some true other reaction out of him.he found him to be both interesting and boring...this leech-man was just as he was and ,yet absolutely different.as if he was gazing himslef into the bewitched mirror......but he knew not why...perhaps there was a solid reason for their encounter...or perhaps not...the only thing that mattered to the son of hel was an adventure...a discovery...

"your mother...?is she ...like you?"  
"no!she is from the line of the alfheimers,while my father was a Jotun!"

"was?"

"it is none of your concern,you foul thing.nonetheless...i have the courtesy and...manners to answer the question ,when i am asked one.not something you would know anything about....he left..."

"well,then...your royal mannerness.... we do have something in common,if we do not count our mutual apperciation towards the other one ...my mother is of a Jotun heritage while my father is...an alfheimrer."  
"now,that does explain a lot."  
"indeed it does."

they were close,barely few inches from another.memorising every particularity of another person,trying to predict the other s move...  
who else but ,fenrir ,cut the silence...he had more than enough time here,on midgard,and this strong the urge to pick on the nerves of this boy ,who was still holding onto his mother skirts ,was only unbearable...the elf needed to prove himself to be a man,his mother would approve this...one day...perchance...  
"since we are alike...do we share the same thoughts?"  
"i sincerely doubt that."

lucien was seeking for a way to get rid himself of this tedious tick,but it seems that ,that shall have to wait.

"hahahahaha! i dont.i believe that you are wondering, would little Daisy be more intrigued in you or me..."  
finally lucien roared:"you stay away from her!"

the young werewolf s blood boiled with an excitement.he needed to push a bit more.."...and if i do not?"  
"then i ll rip you to the pieces!"  
"try to do so !"

 

          

 

Lucien who ,in his past lost control few times in total,and while he was quite small,now didn't thought of it twice...his own transformation was not a dramatic one...the change of his iris color to the one of red,fangs elongating ,as well as his nails...fenrir reacted in the same manner...but his shifting was an absolute one...lucien only watched as his opponent grew and grew..and grew...there was a large snout in the middle of this long face,the whole body was hidden under the black fur ...claws...black and sharp as daggers..for the very first time had met such a monster...he had to bethink swisftly...what were his an advantage?his size ...perhaps ,he could bet upon his flexibility ...and the vein...he shall have to cut the vein on lycan s neck.

"come on!-growled the beast...as if he expected ,for the vampire to run for cover...well,not today...lucien runned in his direction...fenrir s nails went through the air as he bent in the last moment and by grabbing onto the thick fur ,he managed to climb himself upon other ones back...Fenrir raged..twisting himself,arching his back...but lucien would not let go...then the wolf landed on all fours and marched towards the village...  
when the young elf saw this, he made the hard effort to enwrap his long arms around fenrir s neck...to strangle him...that worked...the wolf howled and stopped in his tracks...there was a comotion in front of them...those people must have heard that...they were gathering up...taking their forks and shovels with them.....

"you fool!"-lucien yelled,and bit down his neck. ..to prevent him from making more noises..  
"this is not fun anymorrrrrrrre"-said fenrir and scratched on the pale under elbow...lucien screamed and fell on the soft grass...  
"you shall pay dearly..."-the black shadow behind him said...the next second...five sharp nails drew a deep line upon his back...it stung..it burned...he was now bathing in his blood...  
"a wolf! here he is!"-the men were getting closer and Fenrir decided that it is time to leave...his large paw was upon that wound on his neck,but the blood still dripped...  
"until next time..."  
\------------------------------------------  
the stables smelled of fresh grass and straw...the capacity of it was for about 200 horses,but the queen was gentle talking to the one of them....a very special one...her grandson...white ,eight legged wonder ...the legends were spoken of him...but what she loved about Sleipnir was his loving nature....after valera and Lucien were banished ,he was the only reasonable enough "person" with whom she could spent time...her son was still deluded...many have suffered upon his bad days...even lady sif...the goddess of home and the protector of the families and marriage held onto her hopes that ,one day Thor would come to see through the influence of his warrior maiden....that his heart would open up....those hopes were long gone...

after numerous quarrels those two had ...even,she who was the most loyal to the king, left the castle...who,knows,maybe even the realm.frigga combed his silver mane and he returned with the look full of fondness directed to her ....he placed his head onto her shoulder and sighed.and so did she...they communicate with one another nonverbally...but even that was no consolation these days...two guards were few steps away ....thor s orders...frigga was sinking within herself within the layers upon layers of her dungeons which were now even inside her...  
"i am,but a sad old woman ,slieipnir".

she laughed,and he protested....  
it was an early morning and only one sun has shone ...they watched as the clouds traveled,and the mountains appeared in the distance...  
"i wish to go there, grandmother..."-he thought...  
she had caressed his elegant neck...

"one day my,darling...i promise you one day..."  
then the horse became nervous and started shivering...  
"what is it?!"  
"the mouse!"  
"a mouse?"-yes ,there was this little trespasser...curled up right next to the sleipnir....he was very calm and gazed high above him,right into Frigga s blue eyes...his were green...oh, so very green....  
...................................................  
fenrir thanked his lucky stars for not bringing the infinity stone with him ,but leaving it buried under the willow tree few kilometers down south , where he saw that long eared animal.  
since,it was under a protection spell,it remained  untouched....he had to return...jormungadr,probably did not trust him to recall the words that stired the sider of the stone,however...a wolf never forgets....  
thus,after the twelfth time,he lastly got the spell correctly...and the bright light had shone once more...  
for how long was he absent,...he dared not to ask...for the castle was too quiet...and he still had a large bite wound exposed....hel would surely kill him...his footsteps were soundless as he walked through the hallway...there was yet one green torch that floated in front of him ...usually it was helpful but now it could bring an unwanted attention.  
his room....it was another 100 steps ahead,and he was about to reach it...  
"where were you?"  
the voice of his father,now oddly dark brought him to the grey reality...


	43. Beauties and the Beasts...

lucien was assaulted by a bear...a very large bear...the kind ,that did not reside in this part of the land or even in this part of the european continent...there was a small trace of truth in his words...or none,at all.  
he has changed inexplicably during the past decades...he became more secretive and guarded.. spoke less... he would wondered during the day...she caught him once carving a statue of a midgardian maiden...she had not revealed herself then,for he would surely find and excuse for this sudden rush of an artistic creativity...and ,why,the woman...?why not a flower,a tree or a woodland creature...valera was utterly unprepared for this very day...a day when her only child would become a man.

she fought to be unlike her mother...unlike adyssa who was surely bathing in her silk and silver ,whilst valera and lucien were barely surviving  of  the land...but there were those things more precious than all the gold in the world...happiness , a genuine happiness ,freedom and love...this elven lady was only too well acquainted with the both ,and thus had more than enough profound lore ,and sadly enough of  the experince to seperate them,weight them and ,lastly ,numer them by their relevence...and gold,to her was lower on the chart than the mud.for mud was useful..gold...only blinding....and she found it all here...her magical formula for fulfilment ...

if she avoided any contacts with the natives ,she could walk freely when and where she pleases and ,as for love...her son was sufficient...was all she required...

nonetheless,this stern settings coercive her to be self taught in every singular point of their existence...there were no guidelines from  no one of how to take care for a child on your own ..how to grow certain vegetables,to keep the dinner on the table...her hands were no longer the smooth soft hands of a courtier,but rough, scarred ones of a peasant...her hair was not longer the one of gold -now it was more toned down...but she found her inner peace...and during this last 20 centuries,she felt pride for doing the opposite of what her mother did-forcing her to marry when she was about lucien s age...

and yet it was producing a contra-effect in her link with lucien...she wanted something she never had...nearness...warmness...he was to be hidden away from all the perils the world transmited their way...and what was the result of this scrificing love of hers...

he addressed her as an obsessive,demanding and harsh...he yearned for his own liberty.she thought she knew the circumstances better...so he refused her own oughts and soughts...he defended himself with silence...he would even calculated when she was not to arrive home so that he may run away,to norns know where...

"mayhap tis time for you to let him go ..."

"no!not yet! too soon...too soon it would be..."

she shook her head ...she could not do so ,simply could not merely give him her blessing and bid him farewell....he was all she had....an only motive why she did not go mad... even if he denied it,the birds on the branches were aware of how extemporaneous he truly was...deep cuts and marks on his back are a hurtful proof of this.her pace was quite fast yet soundless..she had to rush....lucien's body was healing upon his own ,but he got a fever and needed an ointment which could be made only from the flowers that grew during this season and on the south side....and that was a half day walk from their home...the sun will soon set down and leave the sky to his sister moon...her son's well being depend upon her orientation in this lands and speed ....she was so determined to arrive back home before the stars sit upon heavens ,that the one approaching her closened their distance without her noticing it...  
\-----------------------------------------------------------------  
the small mouse , which frigga hid in her sleeve until she returned to the questionable security ,was not released on the beige floor of her golden chambers...

"please do not let me be mistaken "-she whisperd...  
then the green light,which she has not seen for so long, filled her room...and when the forceful energy of seidr has perished..she ran to embrce the man behind it....their stood like that...holding each other tightly...in stillness in which nothing was spoken,yet memories were shared...so many of them... and even time,as it seemed to them ,stood still ...with them....and for them...  
after letting go ,she cupped that unchanged dear face....her thumbs traced his sunken cheeks and sharp cheekbones...while his long thin fingers wiped her tears ...  
"loki,my loki...why have you abandoned us...where have you been..."  
"frigg...mother... i would never do that...ever..."  
"you must tell me all..."

william breathed heavily...one thing is revealing what he heard from skuld and another was his greatest nightmare... that what he will be told by frigga...  
"i am ready to speak,as much as i am ready to listen..."  
frigga took his hands into hers....  
"you better sit down..."  
.....................................................................  
one can not enter the realm of the dead without an exclusive permission from the queen herself...the honorable guest of this night,and the exception to the rule, was the sveratlheimr s leader.mror comes from an old line of warriors...and deceivers....yet,he was a favorable ally...it was ,indeed refreshing to see someone from the upper world who is able to appreciate this...splendor hel hated once ,herself......

few torches were burning ,for hers sake, not his...their meeting shall be shorter than one thought ,for they seemed to be understanding each other ...sharing the same an ideal...approving others suggestions ...all was being analized to the very last detail.everything else were ,but shades...of course there was a wide space for an improvisation...the facts were clear...and mostly benefitial.

alfheimr has descended ,nidavelir...many have sought the safety of the only untouched realm of the nine... of that pathetic realm of midgard...  
muspelheimrs and jotuns shall gladly grant their commodities ...men and weapons for the sake of war...which should not be a lengthy one.... valhalla awaits for those who shall vanish under the ruins of asgard and vanaheimr...

despite her deformity,mror would not deny that she was pleasing to the eyes...much younger than he would have thought,yet remarkably intelligent...and keen for the game of fighting.a treat highly desired in the female individual on svartalheimr.

the throbbing of her cold,apathetic footsteps echoed through the meeting room...sounds rose to those high jagged ceilings...and the tall,muscular ,white eyed elf followed her tracks with his hands behind his back.an unstated sign of non attacking and mutual urespect,or was it soemthing more to it?...hel trusted no one...not even herself...it would take more than a political consent to gain her complete trust.

"tell me,great leader ...when have you envisioned that the armies will march against my uncle?"  
"if you join me,queen hel,millions will strike asgard within a year from now."  
"if I join you ..."-her lips were spreading into a provoking smile...oh,and he was aiming for that...

"since we have grazed the subject,i do propose another union...a union that would not only strengthened our powers,but unite our kingdoms ...."

she felt his breath on her neck ,so she casually walked by past him ,acting unconcerned,as if she didn't notice his attentions,that were terribly obvious.and she despised that arogance in men...  
"you have the mjolnir in your possession...i do not see or comprehend what else might increase the might of your realm...you have your magical stone..and i...  
"and you have yours...yes i am aware of it."-he was now standing few inches from her and his crystal eyes were locked with her deep green ones...but she didn't flinch.she would not grant him the satisfaction.

"you are toying with me,your majesty... an alliance through the marital ceremony..."  
"hahahahaha! you jest ,lord mror!oh...i my mostly saddened to inform you that i..."

"that you are what ?married?to what...that light elf?that feel half dead abomination!?he's not worthy of a woman of such a force ...you require a true man to stand by your side,my lady..."  
hel was now burning...both inside and out...her eyes obtained the color of crimson.

" nor i do require an egocentric narcissistic kreten,and of the worst kind.be gone before i change my mind!"  
"then i'll leave...and i hope that you'll consider both of the propositions..."

she turned her back on him and digged her nails into her hands...she loathed those men ...fandral was like that...however he is now under her control...and control she need to function...  
she heard his sarcastic voice from the doorsteps-:"i know i have angered you...forgive my impulsivity...i have thought that after having a children with your father,you would not be so...hesitative."  
when the doors closed her left fist slammed into the large stone table that broke in half...

the lake in which jormungand spent his nights was directly under the cliff upon which the castle laid...hel knew not that her son would rose from his watery bed and listened to her secret meetings...today was no different...except..that this meeting was different...

 

 

 

  
 


	44. Greeting And Farewell.....

valera adhered herself onto a lage oak ...her breathing was reduced and silenced onto a minimum...there was a great clearance in front of her ,whilst all the lush vegetation had to be both behind her and her attacker.until this very moment she was too frightened to withal run and turn so that she may gaze upon him...yet now,she was trapped...he was faster than her...and he would easily spot any pitiful attempts of escaping ...anywhere...

and thus he appeared from the trees...she was now,without having any obstacles that concealed his presence ,which was,she had to admit, only latterly a mystery, allowed to behold him in whole...

....to walk unseen and non audible,to jump from a tree onto a tree...those were a traditional warrior s skills from alfheimr... and while, he was still relatively far ......her suspections were proven once more to be precise...a tall,man ....with that long silver mane that reached the half of his back....yes,the trade mark of the light elves were those ears,as well...  
she deluded herself ...due to the elongated isolation,and a nostalgia she held for the realm on which she grew,she actually made herself,for that short part of a second to be convinced that he is a friend...  
"what a fool you are..." she thught to herslef...  
now it was manifestly...his armor was not of alfheimr...not a silver and blue,but black and crimson one ...he was not slowing down...in fact, he has speed up in his tracks....he also wore a saber!  
.  
she screamed and covered her face behind her hands expecting that final blow...that reaction made an elf to react fully unexpectedly himself ...the cold weapon ended aside ...  
.  
the men grabbed her roughly,positioning valera so that she may look right into his face..in between her trembles and sobs ,her eyes opened up...the very sight stopped both the sobs and shivers...she was now frostbounded.  
he..he was dead...there was no denying it...and yet her mind was unable to perceive it so...it was impossible...almost impossible...  
his nebulous eyes stared at her in the most chilling way ....once handsome face was carrying the evidence of the previous scars...his skin tone was grey ...this was a quite an unrealistic person...in a quite an unrealistic moment...for none of this seemed real.  
however he,wickedly made it real...all he had to do is speak out....and her shivers retrieved.

"you are not to run or scream..."

"please ...release me..i do not know who...or what you are...i do not have anything you could possibly want...i am, but a destitute woman,who is taking care of her ill son...we are deprived from any basic necessities...."

"i know too well all about you,valera."

as if someone had slapped her...she was present physically not emotionally...was he following her ...if so,for how long...he also knew of lucian then..  
the man s features softened as he observed her dread painted with the bewilderment and inner disorder...."  
he changed his voice tone...

"you have nothing to be afraid of .for i shall not harm you."  
"then...what do you want from me..."

oh,why did she had to ask that...why...

"what do you see?"  
"i..i do not understand..."  
"what do you see,as i hold you so close...hm? an abomination? a monster?what?"  
all answers were wrong...however his grip became more firm and she said the first thing she could thought of...  
"all i sense is a presnce of a dark seidr..."

"preciselly...i am to walk,talk and breath as long as my queen permits me so. when she gets tired of my existence or of she dies herslef i shall ceaste to be and will return into the darkness from which i have arrived."

valera's eyes were running wild,observing every inch of his skin...her gaze went quickly from his temple to his boots... from his shoulder to his hips...they stopped on the starting point.his yellow dead eyes..and she found what she sought behind them...  
"fandral?"

 

 

........................................................................................  
"get out!"

thor yelled the for the first time.,and it was a cue for that harlot to leave his grotesquely ,oversized and lavish bed ...

when her steps disappeared in the hallway,he repeated himself even louder...now he was addressing the servant who brought them breakfast....a king would not eat with a woman who spared her legs so easily...a woman who would gossiped around the palace ,about how the king spills his drink or has made a mess during the cutting of the meat.the truth was...

thor was not accustomed to use fork or spoon...no matter how hard he tried,or even how hard he tried to pretend that he indeed ,is not trying at all.so he drank the soup from the plate,directly...and consumed from food stuck on a knife...or solely with hands,...

he became quite an animal...and he lived as such...for this were no chambers of the proud king,but a hogpen.when the servant excused himself,the mighty thor spreaded himself along ,the mighty thor spread himself along the good part of the bed,having only his intimate parts covered with the finest fabric.breakfast shall wait...his subjects will have to wait...asgard and all the nine can wait...he wanted no cares at this moment...just to oversleep this awful morning...this morning that leaves the foul taste in his mouth..or was it the wine...or that woman?  
once more his eyes were shut...in matters not. whether it is morning or night...  
now entirely alone,bare in all the ways of a metaphor,and in the most literal one,he has nowhere to hid...from himself.he has sunk lower than the tavern s drunk...in front of the others he wore the mask of odin...in front of himself he had no masks to put on.

the war is at stake...no, it shall happen...but the victory of asgard was not in question...asgard has never fallen...nor ,in the time of the great war...when the dark elves attacked his father's father,nor it shall now...they can not use the mjolnir against the one for whom it was originally made...they are the unworthy ones...and mjolnir would decline their commands...she shall return to his hand once they release her....what those wretched seers say is as further from the truth as it can be...blasted be...

what is to be his heritage then...besides the strong walls...or the prosperity of the realm...people in fear?an heir?  
ah,yes...and heir?no one was courageous enough to present him with this matter of relevance...but they were whispering..indeed they did...a marriage with the daughter of the royal blood from nidavelir...absolutely not! vanaheimr?perhaps...asgard...  
could a child fulfill him as a person?was he ready for such a demanding role? a role of a parent?no...how could a blind father protect his child?

..unless the child has a strong mother...a mother he has chased away...  
his wenches would told him that he called her names in the nights,in his sleep,when he had nightmares ...he would punish them for such a disrespectful behavior...oh,sif...where was she...now,bare,alone...he didn't have any needments to pretend anymore...he pushed her, reject her fro her own well being...  
"stop imaging thor...you have spat on her , for your s pride's sake...you feared your true self would be hurt if she denies you...thus you denied her before she had a possibility to do the same to you..."  
upon that morning...one of the fresh mornings where the skies wore the pastel toned dresses ,thor yelled,two times only...  
he should had displayed his cold arrogance for the third time,for there was someone else who had no right to be there...  
.  
loki was not called a god of chaos and mischief for nothing...he was a fearful mage , he possessed an enviable intelligence,the capacity to accept or tolerate a delay...and to strike when no one even remotely expects...  
and what loki knew was ,that the revenge is the  best when it  is served cold ....cold was the term....cold as the ice daggers that formed in his hand...  
if only this idiotic simpleton did not parted him from his children... there would be no war....hel would understood....he would make his amends...he would be father the wanted to be...was meant to be ....so he waited and waited ...in his shadows...then frigga told him...all...and he could not wait anymore...he has buried the man who practically destroyed his repuation with his...sickening democracy...damn you william...  
and...  
"farewell,thor!"


	45. When All the  Paths Lead to Midgard...

the blade reflected the rays of the suns froming a spectre of colors that danced over the room....Loki swung it maniacally ... and then...at all went still...the time stopped...he was unable to move an inch...but it was not only him...all...all that was created ...detained in the motion...the birds,...the people...the wind...all....his mind was outside this unexplainable sensation...it was open...enough to storm upon the possible explanations ...what was this ?what has caused this distortion?he focused on moving the muscles of his hands....without any visible success...the blade remains to hang close to Thor s heart....  
Loki screamed inwardly ...this was an utter horror....he was trapped in the moment...  
"clam yourself..."  
a tender voice came from behind him...why was it so...all the strongly important people .that could sneak up on him...but only those counted....however,they would ,as it would turn out later on,bring him injustice and treason...you are deceiving yourself...it is for your own good...they would say...and he hated them even more so....

in the corner of his eye he saw a hair....a grey hair that resemled the web of a spider...  
Skuld....  
"it is not the time....not yet...."  
the white light flashed behind him...but not only for her to disappear..but to take him with her...Loki squinted his eyes after the attack of this almost hostile irritation to them...and let them customize to the more acceptable light.his eyes were tearing and he had to wipe them and blink occasionally....  
"argh!"  
then he looked around...midgard....  
"no!whhhhhhhhhhhyyyyyyyyyyy! i was.so.close!you cannot stop me Skuld...nor any of you who consider us to be lesser than yoursleves...i shall have my revenge one way or the other...or i ll die in the attempts..."  
.....................................................  
in an actuality,skuld was not availing him or anyone...she placed him in the arena of demons ...without anything to defend themselves...five children she said...  
five children, he asked Frigga....  
"five...you have two sons of whom you know nothing about."  
"please...do not tell me..."-the tear was hanging in there...if he was to blink it is to reveal itself ...even his eyes denied it...  
"you daughter....almost 20 centuries ago,gave birth to the twin boys..."

Loki stood up and walked backwards, struggling to get some air...for breathing was impossible...  
when his back have reached the wall and he slid to the floor...he felt that a border within him was being destroyed...a power strong enough to erase his existence was set free..  
yet he did not paid attention to it and his sorrowful emerald windows of his soul have raised to the Frigga again....  
"does hel hate me...and i ask of you not to lie or lessen the truth.for i must know."  
"she blames you,my son...but,it was not your fault...you must be aware of this...the potion you drank that night...something went terribly wrong...i believe i have the right to accuse valrea s mother for the effects it had on you..."  
"what are saying..."  
"i believe... that  she had  spilled the original potion and exchanged it with the blood of a dragon...."  
Loki slammed his head on the wall and roared...loki...not william...  
..........................................................

to Thor and all, besides the sorcerer Jotun prince, nothing out of the ordinary has occurred....nothing whatsoever...  
the blind king , influenced by the wine heard...and he,indeed was not mad....he was many things,yet mad was not one of them...he had heard the voice of the man he was blaming for his cage of darkness...  
"loki?"  
his hearing was improved ...as it usually is when one can not lean on the sense of sight....and his was beyond the hearing of a common Aesir ,thus he could tell easily if there was but a heartbeat of another in his presence...it was not...but thor would not risk...that was becoming of the fools, not ...a king.  
"guards! guards!"  
he shall activate the searching party...and drag him from the pits of nifelheimr ,if he has to....they still have many many unfinished business...  
..........................................................................  
the old doors of a classical middle class tavern of that era went wide open with a cracking sound...that was enhancing the bitter temper in the men who were the regular guests there...it could only unnerve them...  
the smells of urine,cheap beer,roasted beef,and unclean sweaty men were not something sif  had had a privilege to encounter before...yet she was protected by her friends and the status of the wealthiest realm that is...midgard was a shameful substitute...but it was far...far from all that reminded her of ...him...  
all men turned by the sight of a tall armored brunette...a strange sight indeed....sif held her head up high and sat at the one of two empty tables...,  
her mood was a man unfriendly,and the fire inside her would not be controlled if,but one lights it up....they knew not any of this,and just continued to stare at her with their dirty ,tanned faces...  
"may i help you love?"

the tavern owner,not significantly ,in the appearance ,different than the others, was standing in front of her,washing his large red hand onto the mop...a greasy mop...  
"yes,i would like your strongest drink!"

he scratched his neck..then his head..then his nose....  
sif hated herself for indulging her need for a pain killer...a heart s pain killer...but the standards on Midgard were as such...

"a woman...who wants to drink?is it a jest,love?"  
"mind your words,commoner..i am not your...love...and if it is too difficult for your brain to discern my status,then hear this...i am but a warrior... an equal to all men...and i would like a drink...just as a men would.here..."

she slammed her hand into the table,leaving golden coin behind.  
"for the strongest drink!"

his eyes went wide...as he hysterically took the shiny coin...he ,of course chew on it and after he approvingly shook his head...  
"woman!the strongest we have!quickly!"

he was watching sif,but was calling for another...  
there were a sound of someone running down the stairs and turning right into the room with the barrels..

"wife...hurry on!hehe...apologies...lady...she is a bit slow...up here..."-he pointed towards his forehead...

"i met her two decades ago when she was selling herself for a slice of an old bread...sad really...i had practically saved her.  
"wife...i ll slap you if you leave our customer to wait any longer!"

some mugs fell on the floor ...in that room...and he lost his patience...  
"she shall be right with you,your ladyship ..."

the doors were half closed,so sif could have another privilege of seeing as the tavern s owner hits a light haired woman and pushes her around .cruel words were not lacking also ...a woman submissively lowered her head and did what he wanted...there were bruises of all colors and sizes on her hands ,neck and back...and sif bit her tongue,for she wanted to break the hands of that man...or that man in general.she wore a white shirt and a brown stained skirt... post beating ,she forced a joyful face and arrived with the plate,as if nothing was troubling her ....sif watched carefully as the woman cleans her table with some rag... before placing a large mug and a slice of bread and cheese in front of her  
her unwashed long hair was covering her face ,a face that was all too familiar to the first female customer....  
"adyssa?"

 

  
.................................................  
fenrir hated waiting...he was not the one to be still for a short period of time...not to mention for a long period...and two hours were a torment.a complete torment...ah,he craved for an excitement of some sort...whatever it was...a battle...a duel...a chase ...he would even be satisfied if he was to saw that leech man again...hahaha leech man...he smiled to himself...how very pathetic,indeed...  
a maiden needs a protection from a true swordsman,a hero...not some coward who hides in the shadows...the lovely red haired maiden would not fall for him...and yet he was an interesting specimen...as much as fenrir was...

someone was approaching through the bushes and he was on his feet again,with hand on the handle of his sword...  
his father..and...an elven lady...  
he dragged her obviously against her will ...well obviously,since he had her mouth covered with his hands...

"father!?what is this?!"  
"she is ...an old friend..."  
"i have a hard time believing that...norns,release that woman!"

"no!this is not of your concern...i have returned to inform you that i shall stay here,for i have much to discuss with this...lady...and you should go back to your mother...do not tell her where i am!do not!"


	46. Love In Flames...

the son of two fathers,a tenacious young man,and an infinitely curious one ...as Fenrir was, would not let something so suspicious to pass without him, leastwise he had to  try to discover the motives for it.and his father investigating him ,and thoroughly of Midgard and of his bruises...what was with this unexpected interest for midgard...all that everyone were talking about was Asgard...

"you are to come with me and show me the way..."-fenrir did so,but had his eyes wide open ...this bobbin was tied in a knot ...but by whom...and what for...

"now wait...".

father instructed...or precisely...ordered..and fenrir obeyed...what was so relevant to the deceased man...the atmosphere was not an adequate for his dry skin...he did not ate the vegetation of the present...then what...  
when he saw his father's hostage,he swallowed hard...

he was not going to harm the woman?murder her or rape her?or norns, forbid...the both...not particularly in that order...  
so he used the stone to perish...to perish just few hundred meters away,so that he might return within the 40 drops of water in the water-clock...  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------  
fandral has started the fire and set next to it ...Valera sighed...she tried to outrun him a couple of times ,and he would catch up to her ...her legs and feet were betraying her and  she would have no chance at all...besides , the black veil was covering the heavens and the soft breeze was replaced by an unpleasant chill that went through her bones...and,so she sat....  
"are you warm?"-he asked...  
"i am... fine."

she was looking straight to him,trying to get his attention.

he raised his brow...which only deepen the scar that started above it and ended upon his left cheek...  
"you do realize that i cannot let you go..."  
"please...my son is ill...! if i do not bring him the ointment...!"

the heat of the fire could not reach his bones...the element of fire was yet another possible ally in the battle,nothing more...but he saw that it would have a slight an affect on her.once when the body adjusts to a certain position or state, the mind adjusts as well ,and the other way around.perhance ...the period of valera remaining here might be prolonged a bit longer...if she finds  the environment and ...the company to be more convenient to her needs.so he continued...

"...i can not let you go,until i am to say something firstly. then...if you wish...you are free to depart.."  
she had been wholly astonished.

" i love you ."-he has blurted out.  
"i am unable to deny this...tremendous...desire for something more... no matter how hard i have tried .what is even more so strangely is that i have no heart...hahaha ...hel took it and locked it in the silver casket...the heart beats within it...and she may do with it whatsoever she wants...so how can i love without a heart?hmmm?love,indeed is a greatest mystery of all times.."

her small pink mouth were smiling and her large eyes were ,but regretful ... she was a muse to his mind,and a queen for his soul...even now when she had wrinkles around her eyes...she was more lovelier than the last time thy saw each other...she was more confident ,she was aware of what she is and where she wants to be...a perl,a star,an ageless goddess...  
what was he to her ? he wondered...yet the clock was ticking...what he needed to know there was no time like the present...he belonged in the nifelhemir now...he belongs with hel...there was no place for the likes of him among the living...  
............................................................................  
the day of contrasts...both frightening and exciting...alluring and repulsing....both consumed with fear and fulfilled with the hope and want she held far away even from herself...especially from herself...

" i love you...i am unable to deny this...tremendous...desire for something more... no matter how hard i have tried .what is even more so strangely is that i have no heart...hahaha ...hel took it and locked it in the silver casket...the heart beats within it...and she may do with it whatsoever she wants...so how can i love without a heart?hmmm?love,indeed is a greatest mystery of all times.."

he said....and she smiled....that reminded her of the poetic side of him...he had enchanted her with it,as well,with his sometimes undue comparisons...

"your lips remind me of a rose at dawn...and your eyes of the dawn itself..."-and that is why she was unmistakably regretful...a day of contrasts....

he asked something,yet she was unaware of this....  
"are you repulsed by ...this..."-he repeated the acid query.and acid he would tasted ...as his remained motionless...and waited...

her response was an immediate one:"no!...the circumstances are most uncommon,yet to see you...even in this form ....it is wondrous...i am ashamed to confess it,yet my ability to speak is restricted at this point...."  
it was his turn to smile ...however to avoid her gaze he had to find himself a diversion.

they stared at the stars for a while...but the silence grew heavy upon them...  
-"lucien is a handsome fellow..."  
"you...you saw him...?"  
"aye...i ve left him a healing potion at your home...and then followed you in your steps...by the time you arrive, you should find him asleep...and by the first rays of light ,he shall be fully healed..."

mother's happiness knew not of the reasoning...the actions were before the resolution of the same ones...she found herself with her long arms around his neck...  
"i...thank you...um...forgive me..."  
"there is no need for that,valera..."

"you have not told me this.why?"  
"why,my dear...you...ask...perhaps ,because you have let your feet carry you much further than my words can reach."

she defensively stood up by that,as if she was ordered by the king...now, when his words have truly reached her...she had to...flee? embrace them with an open arms? refuse them in an uncomely manner?  
"i...i am most grateful...and i do owe you...will i see you again..so that i may compensate you, your effort, of course ".  
"no."

"i am sorry?"  
was there a reservation as a cause of hers guard towards him...for she indeed had none...her feelings...were her enemy...  
"hel...if she is to find out my whereabouts for this day,i ll be praying for something as sweet as a whip of fire or the loss of my tongue...if not something worse...she is another person...and her darkness is all she is now,herself..."

valera had sunken within herself...she seemed so small...until he wrapped his strong grey arms around her ,from behind...she suddenly lighten up...  
"did you have an affection for...him?"  
"loki?yes...and no...that is not an answer one can easily reply to..."  
"and what of...me then?"

he could feel her tensing beneath him.  
"you are to leave, aren't you...?"  
"i could stay.."

lies...dreams of the realism...

  
"stay...? but it is against the laws of Midgard ...you are dead...!"  
"and so were you,my lovely lady..."  
"yes,but my soul was in nifelhemir for two days at most...there was still time..."

"aha!do you have the audacity to admit it, when!?you do loathe this disgrace of what i have become...and you...you are are looking at me, straight into my eyes...in your foul attempts to deceive me ,if it so happens that i decide not to release you!"  
"no... you are mistaken!"

  
"oh,am i?"

"yes! do not do this...loki was the first man who believed in my worth..not only the worth of a woman,a wife...but of a person! you did nothing of the same!to you i was but a trophy!"

"who is mistaken now?! i knew your worth from the first time i laid my eyes upon you,valera...and that is why i feared you would forsake me when you find another who deserves you more..."

how could he be so cruel...now,of all the times they were together he had chosen to tell her this now...

"i ...i loathe you!"-she whispered.

he smiled once more."now i know you are lying..."

 

  
this would be the very last moment they will ever have....perhaps it was all a dream..for dreams do not come to life ...and those that do..they are of a short lived ...the dreamer must awaken ,whether he wants it or not...when his cold fingers caressed her long neck ,the energy of a woman,which was stored bellow al that she was now... the duties and energies of a mother...a caretaker.. .a provider ...  
...was deprived of its chains ...she had forgotten how it felt like...  
she was overtaken...by the touch...by the kiss...

fenrir stood on the south side behind the large oak...and could not believe what he was witnessing...  
Lucien traced his mother's scent and arrived from the north...a peril...it must have some sort of a peril she was in... since she was not arriving...the medicine she gave him was a miraculous and his strength was returning more and more by the minute...he had arrived during the same scene ...  
and last,but definitely not least were the villagers...it was widely known who resided in this cursed woods...demons,witches,goblins,trolls...and now they caught them " red handed"...the sea of torches and forks surprised the miserable couple...  
the fire was unstoppable....

 


	47. Monsters And Men ...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this aint longer...i have problems...  
> if u wanna u can check out two new crimson peak vids here :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYVgtBOT120  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rDq4_telKo&spfreload=10

"what is this?aesir scum entering Midgard...the last drop in the sea of the nine....?"

the dark elf upon the highest military position was reading that scroll which was brought in ,as an urgent news from his spies...he was to invade midgard of course,but not in the nearest countries to come ...they had so much to accomplish before...and the had hel s approval...he hath no worries about the young queen...her youth was one of her disadvantages,,,and her instability another...if he presents himself as a reliable figure...the one she ,so unfortunately sought in her father,well then...  
"send few of our walking squadrons over to Midgard ..."

the low king of asgard is deluded if he believes in his own  entitlement to the world of men,which,until now was a neutral planet.  
the consultant nodded to the mrors orders...  
...................................................................................  
thor has his men tracing Loki even here...heimdallr must have revealed the seeings of the green seidr Loki used to protect himself in few unpleasant occasions...to prevent an undesired conflict of the sort,and meeting the large blond men heavily armed...he let his paths lead him further to the west....into the unknown lands...where the mountains are to be left behind and green meadows and forests become more and more a frequent sight...and experience....  
his feet were becoming increasingly tired ...this journey has directed the jotun to  an isolated places...he has found very little traces of a human life...then, upon the 12th day of his solitude, he saw a village...something was strangely odd here..and as soon as he came closer,he had a fine view of the mishap that occurred,evidently not so long ago...a fire,it was...it seems it started in the forest ,however,by his quick judgment and sharp perception, it was obvious that the wind blew that day  in the opposite direction and carried the flames to the houses...yes,there were many ruins there...the burned walls,wood...stables...a truly sorrowful sight...  
he slowly approached the old woman that was washing clothes in the nearest lake...

"i wish you a good day,woman".  
she raised her grey head,that contained,but a few strands of hair here and there and suspiciously squinted her brown eyes...the natives disliked all the out-landers ...especially those dressed in the dark cloaks with their faces covered ...the experience would told them that this was another well trained assassin,a merchant ,or a height traitor running from those who were after him...probably the last...she thought.she patted himself on the back,mentally,for she concluded to be more insightful than all the women she knew , and all together .

"yes?!"  
she had a high pitched voice and an offensive attitude,with a large amount of an aversion,which she did not hid.  
"forgive my intrusion,madam...but i have travelled for  a weeks now,and i am beyond the limits of my strength...if i am to seek for an in...would this the right place for it?"  
the woman sniffed...  
"no,stranger!"  
"there is no " in " here...you must go further down that path ,through the enchanted forest.after a day of a walk...or so...you will find a tavern.they might take you in ...for a nice cost."  
"thank you.that is mostly helpful."  
he smiled insincerely,  
"the enchanted forest,you say...why does it have such a diabolical name?"

"because it is under a dark spell,of course...this fire,...the men of the village saw the monsters that are residing in it...they were involved in their evil ceremonies...our man...attacked them...as they were attcaking us...but there was this strong wind...my guess is...that the spell caused this  ...some of our houses had burned ..."

  
she returned to the scrubbing of that underskirt...  
Loki had heard a call from his heart,a profound realization ,a familiar sensation ...  
he knew there was a good cause for him to be here...

  
" this monsters...how did they looked like?"

"two elf creatures...a giant wolf-man and a blood sucker...was what i have heard."

since he said nothing ,she turned to face him once more ,yet he was gone  ,as if he never existed...as if he was...one of the monsters...the woman left her clothes in the cold spring water and ,as fully predicted, rushed to the first neighbour...  
if a monster,he was...then he ,indeed was where he belonged,...in the enchanted forest...now his journey actually starts.

 

  
........................................................................  
in the dungeon of a thick smoke,they found themselves...while the torches and vile men were surrounding them...it was an impossible mission to perceive who was who....the first act of true violence was a direct an assault upon lady valera...she was grabbed and dragged behind the wall of smoke ...even though ,fandral had progressed swiftly towards her...the fire roared and blocked his path...he heard her helpless screams...Lucien ran to aid his mother ...

...the villagers that stood nearby , run for covers when the vampire hybrid pulled of the head from the shoulders  of his mother s attacker...  
"lucien,watch out!"-she yelled,but someone used a huge piece of wood and hit him on the head...fenrir was outnumbered by so many of them,yet many have fallen from his claws and teeth...but he was no match for the rushing heat and flames that were smoothly climbing on the trees and above their heads...they were mischievously licking their way towards the village...that caused the natives to leave them and try to save their homes from turning to ashes...  
'"father!?"  
he was desperate ,for he did not see him...he walked over the burned ,black grass,whilst the branches were falling around him...  
"I am here!"  
fandral cried out...  
"where...?"  
"fenrir,do not come any closer!"  
Fenrir did...he was determined to follow his father s voice...until there was no way to proceed...there were layers upon layers of fiery teeth between them...  
fandral shouted:"stay away!"  
"i will succeed.,father.."  
"no...i shall be alright..help him...".  
he pointed to the boy that laid unconscious ,not ten feet from the young lycan...

fenrir was both confounded and equally cross:"he is nothing to me...i ...i...need to save you..."  
the smoke now swallowed his father,and the last words he heard  were:  
"he is your brother!"


	48. Replacing Oneslef....

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> editing right now

with the first rays of light....a figure was revealed...under an inclined weeping willow ,was fenrir all curled up ,in the humble attempt to save some of his body s temperature from the cold of the night...indeed, he did not sleep...and indeed he could not...what a preposterous mention...he was too immature ,too unaccustomed ,too overpowered with this monstrosity of the game that Norns placed upon his young shoulders,and the state of affairs that were messing with his naif mind.

..the sun was rising right above the village... which was in the distance...above the trees ,fenrir could still hear cries and smell the malicious smoke...he hit his head onto the tree which was the omen of sadness and covered his face with hands...he wept under the weeping willow...was it soothing? in the times of the true misfortune,the real warrior is being forged...then why did he feel like a coward?his hands were incapable to mend ,nor his teeth or claws could  cut through the tickness of this disarray.

..he lost a great part of his own identity...he had another brother...this equally misunderstood misfit , who was still blissfully unaware of the world around him...his brother...all made sense now ...why was his father so eager to be informed of this other young man,and even more eager to hear of the boy s mother...were they old lovers,then?

they seemed so... if this is fandral's son...fenrir felt such a relief when his tears appeared...his body did not allow for  them to ensue for at least a century...so now they would not stop..that is why they were so alike! that is why they fed of other creatures! a bastard !his father was bastard ! this pale half elven was a bastard! and his own mother-hel...?

did she knew any of this?was this the main cause for her pungent and/or dominant approach towards fandral?

the owl was nested on the tree across the willow...she was blankly looking down at him...and fenrir thought of that look to be the one of judging...or mocking...  
"you are right...feathered friend...how can i go home now when i lost my father...i have lost him! perhaps he managed to escape the worst ...or i am to be greeted by his spirit back in nifelheimr...and what shall mother say?huh? and jor? he had so little...oh,what am i to do now?"

the beige owl blinked and turned her behinds to him...he chuckled ...  
and that is what jolted Lucien from his non conscious state...  
fenrir impatiently kicked him in the ribs.

"wake up!wake up ,leech! you really are sucking the blood out of me! we need to talk!"  
\--------------------------------------------------

the palace of niflheimr was being destroyed...the high towers found their end at the bottom of the dark lake,the tide and large waves have sunk the hills...the residents were scattering ,yet had nowhere to run...jormungandr s wrath was unlike anything they had undergone and he had a control...in his lack of control...

"son!stop this!what is the matter?"

hel climbed upon the roof of the highest tower of the highest fortress...  
he could not hear her...for her voice was just a tiny,irrelevant fragment of the thousands of the sounds clashing one with an another...the sound of the wind caused by his long tail...the mad water that created the meadows out of the mountains... or his ow thunderous noises of an unexplainable pain ...she had no other choice but to use her seidr and appear on his neck...slightly below his head...

her left hand had a vigor which was able to stop this madness...and after her tight grip on his scales...he became appeased,a bit,yet he still was heavily breathing...  
"mother!"

he was surprised to see her there...a person he wanted and not wanted to see...  
"youuu lieeeeed...why!?"  
"i never lied to you!what are you talking about?"  
"my fatherrrrr!"

he hissed and was tossing his head back and forth...  
her past shall haunt her forever...no damage done, until now, was as equally horrible as her sons s revelation of his conception....  
"jor..."  
she could not find the words to elucidate or to illuminate her past decisions... or plans,..  
,however,that was quite enough...she could notice in his large luminous eyes that he concluded ..and that this underlinement was on the very pathway of her obscene truth.the one she attempted to forget ,if she was unfit to destroy.

"is that why i am...like thissss?is it?! you and the sorcerer...i am but a product of black magic?! i am an incomplete...apsssurd?!"

"no ,you are not to repeat that ever again!! jor you are perfect...and both i and fenrir love you the way you are!"

 

he would not listen ...he dived deep into his own kingdom,carrying her along...single handedly,she could witness where he spent his existence...this was an abyss...as further he went..the darkness became thicker...finally he reached the bottom...here was am alien source of light...few of them,actually...the gems she herlsef took from the all-father...her son learnt from them and discovered the world...all that was imaginable for another,was an abstraction to him.  
"free me...!"-he begged..  
"forgive me,but...i can not!"-she thought sadly...  
"then ...kill me...for i am dead already."  
"never.."  
"then i'll kill myself..."-his mouths were reaching for one of the gems...  
it s energy was strong enough to stop his heart from beating...  
 hel quickly conjured the stone ,the one jormungandr gave to Fenrir ,without knowing it was so,and she of thought of the ancient words ...the ones that did sent the great serpent far from nifelheimr...  
\-------------------------------------  
hel was the one to determine his fate...he was under her protection ,as long as she believed to have him in her favor...thus his skin was untouched from the claws of fire...when he lost fenrir from sight ,he swiftly jumped over every obstacle...as an elf would ... and continued in his  search for valera...he always had more luck than brains...and ,there she was ...the smoke entered her lungs and she was in the same condition as Lucien...her dress was burning so he had to cut it...with some severe wounds on her limbs and head,she could not  last long...the only certainty was to give her the ointment he left for lucien...  
so by using the burned grass,and the places where the fire has been before..fandral returned to the woods with her in his arms...


	49. Present In Ashes...

so many threats,so many bruises and wounds...rolling down the hill when one invaded an another, sending them both down the meadow...the grass bathed in dew ,entered their clothes and increased the sense of coldness...

  
"take back those filthy words of yours or i swear i... i ll kill you!"-lucien repeated ,whilst he kept punching fenrir's face...for,he dared to insult his mother...lucien would go pass many subjects,but this one was not one of them...

  
the eloquently vulgar young helson would not embrace this verdict...that the son of a woodland fairy was,by the facts of a basic biology,truly his half brother...there were many indications why they could not share the same blood ... for instance.. that long dark womanly hair...if the omnivore who drank blood, have had both fair haired parents then ,how,oh how could they share the same father...they could not . thus...valera had to be a liar and a low deceiver for  telling fandral they have a child. what might be the thoughts that did run through her pretty little head?who knew?did she even knew who lucian's true father was?  
or has she lost her sapience?

  
tis was not unheard of...those lonely women crave for a part of them which was missing...and they mostly sought it in another's arms...and thus...to withhold their savior made of illusion...they spoke lies...

  
one moment he threw this charges...no ,this rigid axioms ,and in another, he found himself bleeding after a nice,raw blow in the nose...  
when he saw the liquid of life flowing down his lips, fenrir grabbed the paler lad by the shoulders and they bothwent down... tumbled down ,rolling over and over again...when they reached the straightness ,and when the spinning in they heads ceased ...they only continued this childish behavior.

  
who shall hit another harder ?who is to be more creative about it?fenrir who stayed in his human form,changed but his teeth and sank them into Lucien s arm.the other one ,even under an immense pain ,and under the older man,did the same...they were an entangled mess of blood ,teeth and cries...they didn't flinch thought...just remained as they stared one another in the eyes...but eventually , the lycan released Lucien and pushed himself to the grounds ...his eyes were shut and his nostrils were absorbing every molecule of this exquisite scent....a very unique scent....

  
Lucien lifted himself on the elbows...his eyes were ,quite the contrary , wide open...  
"your blood..."-he managed out..." tastes like.."  
and fenrir said in the same time "...smells like..."  
"..mine..."  
"mine..."  
........................................  
another day had not been used usefully and has passed as so ...and whatever was said between them was not encouraging...facts were clear,yet did they not made much sense at all.

  
"the fire is lasty out.. ".-after an hour of silence..fenrir concluded dimly .

  
"we need tor return to the village,,,to find mother...and your father..."

  
"i was already there...there was nothing...i have found nothing ! no remains...no trace of any sort .!"

  
"what are you suggesting then?that we leave them at the hands of whatever destiny has in store for them, or the fine mercy of those midgardian savages ?"

  
"we do not even know are they still alive ,you idiot..!"

  
"i do not need your permission...my heart tells me to seek for my mother and i shall. you do as you please...and wait and linger.you, who called me a coward...and yet ,i am actually gazing upon one!"

  
"there is a distinction between a wise , patient man and a mindless fool!"

  
"ha! you shant ever admit your flaws? i do pity you so!"

  
"i would if i had any..."

  
Lucien ignored the last bit...and was gone becoming one with the forest..

  
"...unlike you...you half-fairy...worm with fangs...and lots and lost of hair..."-fenrir murmured to himself...

  
why was so chilling all of the sudden...was this a trick his mind or body played upon him...or did he missed the company of that...  
the owl made a sound "hoot",and fenrir s head snapped upwards..

"what?! what are you proposing, bird? am i follow him and be kindly greeted by all those men?by no means...i am a strategist...if he so desires to die on this day...well..."  
"hoot! hoot!"

  
"i do not care,i ll find father myself...all i need is..."  
the pouch on his belt was empty...  
"no!"

\------------------------  
lucien lokison s deep warm eyes were glassy....his dear home....how he nominated the forest on the north side....his home was completely destroyed...ashes...once proud apristine trees were now the  tiny particles of  grey and black  dust...he stood there like a stone...his mind was with his mother...wherever she might be...his face directed to the village...the first house in line to the forest...the house in which the red haired girl has served her aggressive father...the house made of a straw and wood ....was not yonder..the only sign of someone living there were the two crosses inhumed into the ground ...

 


	50. To Meet And To See...

the sense of the smell of seidr made him eventually turn ,and return to the village...the stone...where did he lost the stone...perhaps there...it should be there...most definitely...by the norns, if one of the villagers took it...they are to meet his rage........the smell was getting stronger with every passing minute...and when he got there...it was just as strong as on the day he had it...but there on the spot...it was not there...merely a fragment of the past...

"blast it all!"  
fenrir has kicked the stone that gave an impression of the right one,but it was merely another of an illusions, he wanted to be the but true ...another of many...but not the infinity stone...he was sentenced to reside upon midgard....for an unknown length of time...and it was eating him from the inside...  
the distinctive scent of his brother was the strongest amongst all of those that tickled his sensitive nose ...

lucien was on his knees,and watched as the sun gifted it s golden rays to the humble homes that were intentionally built by the river...  
he did not turn when the other one halted behind him.

  
"i gave her the daisies she loved so..."

  
what was lucien talking so mindlessly of...  
then fenrir saw the graves...

  
"i am sorry..."-what else could he say...the girl was delectable ,yet he saw her only once...one needed not to have an extraordinary skill to read lucian......locking the emotions within ...was his trademark .and ,from the sight of it...today many more shall end in that shelf of his ...he seemed unattached to his body....  
there was no possibility of further debating or any of discussions...the stone was lorn ,for the scent ended here...fenrir had no where to go...his mind was spinning...and lucien...what could he ask of him now...?  
he had his hands tied up with this chain of chronos...forever to wait...and wait...until the outcome arrives on its own...

  
when the sun has  hit it s highest point... the rustle of the leaves and fabric reached their ears...two maidens had appeared from behind the bushes ...the brothers determined them not to be of the midgardian origin...one woman...who wore that cheap stained skirt and corset was an elf...the other...since none of them were  in asgard, they were not fitting  to establish her to be an aesir...

  
they appeared to be in some sort of a distress..the silver haired one was covered in bruises and barely walked,and the other,who held her , had a split lip...  
a woman in an armour...norns....an intense ,daring warrior such as he was ...never was fenrir thus intrigued and had such an interest in a lady before...he did travelled but never outside the borders of his land...his sudden reaction surprised the women...when he literally jumped in front of them,almost tripping  on a mud.

  
he straightened and bowed with the due respect:"good day ladies... apologies,but you seem to be in a trouble... i ...and my...friend ...would like to offer you an assistance."  
sif has observed him roughly ...up and down and said sternly:"in fact ...we are in a need of some food ,water,medicine and a place to stay over the night.the tavern back there was not ...suitable enough."

  
"may i ask what happened.?"

  
"no! no you may not,boy!"

  
fenrir nodded ...appreciating this not overly sentimental manner of this exotic woman.

  
"you are an alfheimr,yes?".

  
asked lucien,who finally arrived, the other ,older women.  
fenrir could tell that he was still not himself... entirely.

  
"y..yes..".  
she said tiredly.

  
"i do have some of the flora which are beneficial to your race... back home...it is not too afar...if you are willing to go there...?"  
sif made an approbatory grimase ,but lucien interrupted..

"please..when we reach the place ,you and... him...can not follow us...for, the spell around the house permits only those of an elven blood to enter..."  
"fine!lead the way..."

 

  
when lucien and adyssa had set behind the invisible veil that surrounded the oak tree..and disappeared from the sight , sif and fenrir were left alone.  
lady sif was a woman of a few words and more a woman of an action...fenrir tried to memorize ,as much as he could,in the case if does not see her ever again...her large almond shaped eyes...those small full lips...

  
"what?!what are you looking at?!"  
she dominated the scene and he blushed...

  
"forgive me,lady sif,but i was wondering ...what could have possibly occured to you and lady adyssa..."  
"hm!"-she smiled....  
"some men got what they deserved..."

  
"are you implying..."  
"a woman has hit them where it hurts the most. literatim."  
fenrir smiled as well...this shall be a challenge then,...lovely...  
..............................................  
"mother!"  
valera was lying on her bed,with bandages on her legs...her son has threw himself before her...but when her eyes caught this other figure ....she murmured herself..  
"mother?"  
and left her son confronted with the confusion.  
"mother?"  
\------------------------------------------------------------  
the black ships of svartalheimr appeared over the bright asgardian sky...they were charging fire at the  easiest targets...such as the  fortresses and the golden city..  
heimdallr used the protective shield to stop the invaders of causing any greater damage,but it can last only for so long....and thor knew that...sooner or later...he has to find an alternative...this was the first and the most meager an attack .and many are yet to come ,...mror was toying with him...he didn't want to destroy the beauty of the city or land...only it s citizens...for now...status quo was acceptable ...when they set mjolnir free...all shall be revealed ...who shall be defeated ...and who shall have the victory....


	51. Think Before You Act...

"pft....how humoristic..."

he was sitting with his long legs crossed by the fire....tonight he shall spend the nocturnal time on the mountains...tomorrow he shall travel south...to the valleys and meadows...  
the nights were,in this particular part of midgard ,to emphasise ,very raw...the cold was to be felt in every bones...yet loki did not had those aches...not at all...the function of the fire was mainly for keeping the animals away...since he had to use his sidr with the strict limit.skuld had her motives, which ,unfortunately ,were beyond his comprehension ...for sending him here...  
thor had to live...for now...but loki will not stall..his blood or not...it did not matter....his children mattered...all that was left from asgard was this mall notebook,which william has put together so that it may resemble to the ones of his era...sentiment...his descriptions of the past  events...his apologetic thoughts of the incidents of the present...if it was observed from the point of calligraphy,it was clear that dear , poor willam suffered from more neurological disorders...a sociopath,burdened  with hate and self hate...overly sensitive...it was amusing and distastefully exaggerated.  
loki had torn few pages and threw them into the fire...the history will be written by his hand ...and his name shall not be forsaken...william s name shall...  
...............................................  
the invocation of fandral was a successful one ...one minute he was cleaning valera s wounds and another he was back in nifelheim...those inexplicably high onyx walls could not be found anywhere else...also he had to notice that the ceiling ...was missing...the drops of water,which could be mistaken for the rain, created a pool in the throne room...  
and all that was morbidly combined with hel's hauntingly blood- chilling cries.  
the cries that reached to the every inch of the castle .. .perhaps even the kingdom...  
the stone was in her possession...he had to retrieved to collect fenrir without her realizing it ...she was sobbing on her silver bed...  
"hel?"  
"jormungandr...i had to set him free...it was the only way..."

"set him free?have you completely lost your mind?how could you....where is he?"

"i...i do not know...he had use his own seidr to twist the spell....to his own likings..."

her head rose from the pillow....her eyes were black...  
"and...where were you?where were you when i needed you the most?!"...  
_---------------------------------------------------------  
outside,they skies were trembling from the force of the beams and ships colliding...inside, thor had a peaceful breakfast in a company of his mother...a travesty ,he knew it and would not confess it...and he was not able to see frigga's fallen face ...every time when the palace shook from the impact,she would flinch...the plate in front of her was still full and food untouched...their shields were still holding...those pitiful attacks mattered not...  
there was an another one...a stronger one...the goblet fell on the floor...and frigga could not held her royal posture anymore.she spoke out:"thor..."

"mother?is something bothering you?"  
"i do not now ,son...what could possibly bother me...or any asgardian during this past few days...or even centuries?"

"there is no need for a cynicism."

that thick chunk of cheese found its place in his mouth...the mead  followed...  
"...asgard has survived far worse than those vile svartalfheimrs.fear not.i have calculated their moves correctly.once when the mjolnir enters our borders and when my sight is restored..."  
the queen gazed upon a fool....not a king or even her flesh an d blood...but a simpleton....her ears must have been betraying  her...

  
"can you even hear yourself,my son? restored? how?with what...have we not tried all that it is within our power and strength to heal you...the wisest of them all have spent centuries upon centuries trying to gather thousands of spells and potions which could create a miracle...they have neglected many in a need, to help you! their king! and king you are not!"

"mind your words mother! or are you forgetting what i,the king am capable of...you are nothing but a mother of a king,and that title has no significance."  
she stared at him...and stared...where was her little boy...where was the one she carried for nine months in her womb...

thor ate unnervingly and fast...a picture of a brute ..a savage or an animal flashed before her eyes...

"i have lost my appetite."  
she said and rose from the table.

"fine, it shall be more for me then."  
the doors closed.  
however they open open again...  
this steps where synchronised with the numb sound of an armour clacking.

"what?who disturbs me while i am eating?! "

the guard blinked and bowed in a scared manner...

"i am terribly ashamed of my rudeness, your majesty.i beg for your pardon ..however ,i bring tidings from midgard...as you have requested."  
thor s eyebrows lowered,making him appear even more saturnine . he ,finally leaned back onto the chair .

" well? speak!"  
"um...there is still no trace of prince loki ,your highness...but we have found a tavern where lady sif caused a commotion.she is,it seems few days ahead of us."  
"hmmm "-the king grumbled...  
" when you catch her,bring her here.with no delay.is your common provincial mind able to understand that?"  
"uh...yes...your highness."  
" good! i expect you to find her then ...now leave!"  
..............................................................................................  
one bottle of water,half of bread...a bottle of...blood....some herbs ...two shirts and pants ....and some coins...what else could he be in a need for?  
not much...or he could not ,at least think of anything else...a picture of his mother that he drew when he was a small boy.a boy who naively trusted her tales...  
sif and fenrir had some sparring training outside the tree...and on a floor bellow his,were his mother and grandmother,of whom he has never heard of...all that was unsaid was ,to him ,as equal as the lies...and he detested lies...  
" be kind,be faithful and true..."-his mother would have said...  
not because she possessed the same traits...no...she ,obviously has other qualities...those of a snake...  
he had enough...perhaps it was not the best chosen time...yet it was the time for him.lucien did not know who he truly was....and hopefully some answers will walk his way ...but far from this place....


	52. The Witching Hour...

  
from ashes to ashes...from lust...to dust...

that could be an ode to their relationsip...  
those skeletal fingers went through the thick pile of black ash on the floor ,in the center of her room...as they were brought forth ,nearer to her pallid visage,they began dripping in between her fingers and had few short almost ethereal momentums in the air ,before falling back onto the ebony surface  
hel fixedly stared at it ....impersonal....undistracted...or even attached...not yet,she can not sensate or perceive this...not yet...her servant girl,however did perceive it...she was standing in the hall with her mouths covered...the only good that  may come out of this was ,  if her mistress was only too occupied with the remains of her husband ,leaving  a  hope for pitiful  glenda  to   run away  ,while she has the chance...

  
fandral's yells disturbed both her and those working in the cleaning hall....if they knew hel was behind it,she would have stayed put ...but curiosity killed a cat...or namely her...and that is actually the way she did died...she had to,had to try to ride that horse,and when she was an inexperienced rider...and of course Glenda fell,broke her spine,and received a hard strike to her head...  
hel has heard her and those emerald gems turned slowly towards glenda ...now the servant girl shook from the trepidation and finally moved her legs...too late,or too betimes...now when her ruler saw her ,she was supposed to apologize and/ or to ask her majesty if she needs something...any thing...she should pretend to be an ignorant,...maybe she should clean the private royal chambers...

  
she hit herself on a head...on that very place...she is the one never to learn, is she? hel gazed to the empty hallway for thus long...but she wasn't truly gazing ...she was, indeed on the other side of the room...and she saw what her body just performed......

she argued with him...he betrayed her...not only that he endangered fenrir...but he also spat on their bed, desecrated their unholy marriage ...with that...woman...while valera lives she will continue to steal all of that... those she cares so much about...loki,fandral,....possibly even...no...not ...him...not fenrir... hel,who suffers from an idiosyncratic beliefs which are generally accepted as the rational arguments...a reality ,phantasms ,and hel who created a world of her own,that exists solely within her ..and the world that contradicted with the world of all others,today acted on impulse...no man shall leave her ,or tread upon her fragile emotions ever again...after a brief ,yet painful torture,her mighty hand took away the spell that granted him longevity....within few agonizing seconds...his body  rapidly aged to its original age...the elf captain died 2000 years ago...and now it went through the whole 20 centuries within this mere seconds,until it turned to the ashes...

"what have you done?"-asked  the hel from the corner...

"what have i done..."asked the one on the floor...

 

................................................................................................

"the ambassador of svartalfheimr!"-the guard announced through his teeth,tightly...even tighter gripping onto his spear. .the ghostly white man casually entered the hall that shone like the suns outside...however he was prepared for such a horrendous surroundings...his seidr was whirling around his tall figure,and no light could break the very barricade. when he was expected to bow he did not.he just stood there eyeing thor.

"bow!"-the guard shouted.

"no.i only bow the the one and the true ruler of the nine...my leader...not to this false king of yours."

when thor heard that the guard was about to attack the dark elf, he lifted his hand.

"stop!i wish to hear what this servant of the one ...who is soon to be defeated and thrown into the deepest pits of nifelheimr , has to say.after that...you may ...proceed."

the merely ambassador grinned...

"i would not have come if ,my lord mror,the true ruler of the nine does not have a proposal you shant be able to refuse,king of asgarda."  
"oh,and what proposal may that be?"  
"a sight."  
thor choughed:"a what?"  
  
"a sight...my lord.we own your hammer .she and you are connected,yes? her essence is your power and hers power is a part of your essence...and once she is combined with the magic of our home land...you shall be capable of seeing again ...in the dark.like we do."

  
"in the dark?"-the hope that shone in thor s foggy eyes ceased...  
"only in the dark...but you will see.is that not what you  have yearned for?  
"and for what reason would lord mror allow such a gif?."  
"for asgard ,of course."  
\-----------------------------------------------------------

  
in the era of the night,a vision of the light came into the eyesight of young lucien...it was like a candle guiding him through the tunnel ,and into valhalla...perhaps an illusion,an illusion as sweet as honey and as deathly as the blade of a sword...after waking constantly for two days and a night,his body failed to act upon his wants...he shall soon have to rest...and this blissful fire was calling for him....he shall risk it,then ...the figure that wore a hood and a long black cloak and had his back turned to lucien, was the one who started the flames...perhaps this man shall be an inclined host...or perhaps ...a hostile one...


	53. Butterfly Effect(s)..

before he had open his mouth,and introduced himself,in a proper and a  non threatening manner ..as it is formally expected,and as he was raised ...by valera , the person under the hood addressed him first.. 

"...a weary traveller...please,join me by the fire".

a voice was not the one of a man ,but a woman,and lucien permitted himself to breath out.a woman represented no serious menace...

 

"thank you.please do not mind if i do..."

the fire warmth was quickly reaching to him, as much as the overwhelming tiredness ...to which he was surely to surrender...even his eyes were closing ...that was mostly improvidently of him.

"you seem to be exhausted...are you hungry?"-the woman queried .

he was evadeing,still to look at her,...since he has seen that her face is half way covered and that she ,obviously found the act of prying to be to be an insulting one .he could not agree more.

"oh...no...not so much...i have all i need with me."

he tapped that bag of his...her lips were  dragged into a fine,thinner line and she lifted her velvety hood...as if his words confirmed him to be the trustworthy one... and she was unlike anything out of the ordinary...what would a young girl,of around his age be doing in a place like this...traveling with no chaperone ...and with all those thieves and lethal animals that would  feel invited by such a sheer specimen ...she belonged here ,in this norns forsaken place ,as much as he belonged among the midgardians... that very notification has sent a chill through his spine,as much as the other...her pale,evenly childish and an ancient face ,with those memorable high cheekbones and dreamy luminous green orbs...the characteristics he and fenrir shared... no,that would be too much,too simple or too obligatory for his persona...there was never a mention of his sister...then again,there was never the mention of his brother or grandmother...

pushing that ill thought aside was his self preserving meditative practice,which he lately used more frequently...his gaze,betrayed him,as it reached for her ,over the fire...possibly her eyes were blue ,and not green,possibly she was not as pale..but her eyes glistened with this immemorial ardor which made her appear older and wiser ...besides...the look she was transmitting ,was uncomfortably piercing ...this was no fragile lady lost in this merciless woods...she might be described more as predator..

"a coin for your thoughts..".

she smiled sweetly,but that smile was not reassuring...

"i am just tired .that is all..."

"oh, but there is more to it...you do have some questions...that is alright...many do.that is how i affect the others.."

this was not a manner in which the young girls did spoke....and the seidr he felt in her...it was too forceful...this could only be a witch of some sort...he has heard of this druids ,but even this lands were far beyond their reach...besides, mostly the men would practice their rituals...this could be one of those midgardian solo practicing sorceress...he saw how she looks at the fire...and ,his imagine or not...but that flame did froze a couple of times... and her youth cold be a mere mask... however,he will not reveal his doubts...the magic practitioners fed of ones fears...

"aren t you afraid of travelling by yourself?"-he could not think of a better question...

"oh,no...i rarely fear of anything...i am not lost...but i have lost all that i feared to lose..."

"you mean death...of some one close?"

"aye."-when she answered,her softness turned into this firm,serious,almost  an ireful expression.

lucien lowered his head...

"i am sorry...i did not mean to delve into something so private..."

"no need for apologies.if you are wondering...it was my husband..."

it is was not uncommon for the girls of an adolencent age to be married ,and since she was around 20,he was not appaled by this.

"a widow..."-she laughed..."oh what an irony..."

her temeper changed ,by the second....however ,during their diologue she had this control over the situation...quite wierd...maybe lucien should change the topic...

"so,um...do you have some planned destination...or..?"

"i am  visiting the rest of my family ...naturally .you have arrived from that direction,yes...well ,i have heard that my son is there."

"oh you have a son?how old is he?"

"around you age."

"hahaha...that could not possibly be..."

"and why is that?of all the people ,you should be the one to accept the fact, that those of a jotun heritage do not age as the others,lucien."

suddenly there was a rush of panic...

"i have not given you my name..."

"oh,that would be unnecessary .i am mostly acquainted with you..."

"who...who are you?"

"who i am is of no importance...what i am going to do with you...is."

..............................................................

there were entrances inside the palace of which,not odin himself knew nothing about...only those who used their seidrs to see what could not met an average,untrained eye were familiar with them...frigga was among the rare ones of that an elite group ..those narrow hallway which led her into the forgotten crypt ....who would dare to look behind that large wall carpet, who would even though that it contains the secrets upon which asgard lies...yet ,here, in this small room,at the end of a passageway...the grandfather of bor had stored some of the most precious belongings from all the realms...the infinity stones...three of them...the mother of the king ,wrapped them into a silver napkin...she would not dream of stealing them,for they were what hold the realm safe, and not,as the poeple naively believed- the kings... but she would neither dreamed of thor accepting the offers of mror...and ,by all that is sacred,he did...these treasures must not fall into the hands of an enemy...two stones were on nifelheimr...hel did not said so...she,de facto actually never mentioned them ,but she had yet to learn...for frigga could sense them ....their power sent it s vibrations throughout the nine...one stone was in alfheimr and one...one was with loki.they need to be joined...and fast...now, promptly to the loyal heimdallr,who shan't betray her...not now...

...........................................................................................

valera ,who was recovering slowly ,asked fenrir and sif to find lucien...his absence disturbed her even in her sleep...the two of them divided from the elven women ...since they were hospitable enough,it was the very least they could do...sif was a runaway,with no true home,and fenrir...believed that his father returned to niflheimr and that is involved in a not so pleasant conversation with his mother...hopefully she shall forgive them both for their transgressions...hel had a fiery temper,yes,but she could not stay mad for long ...he has almost forgot about his brother,and missed him,but...a lady fortuna,wanted him to spend some more time with fair lady sif ...and he embraced that opportunity with an open arms.....and she did not seem to be so crude ,as she was when they first met..

the einherjars found loki ...he let them...why ,oh why should he run and lurk...it was against his nature...he has greeted them with his head held high ...as it is appropriate of the one of the royal blood...and he did not have benefits from his seidr...he gave them an equal opportunity,a fair fight...which was more than they would have offer him... only daggers...everyone that he has thrown ended in its target..a heart,an eye...,throat,ribs...an arrow has found its place in his spine,but he shall recover...from the ground ,he saw the last two remaining guards leaning over him...alive or dead...he is required ...alive or dead...he disabled one by booting him right in the knee ...and by taking his sword, he pierced it through the other man...while greeting his teeth, and shivering ,he pulled out that blasted arrow...and before the man with a broken knee could sweep his cold weapon, loki beheaded him....

"so much for that..."

but alas...what or who granted loki his freedom,took it from this two unprotected women,who resided in the oak tree...namely...if the guards were not murdered, they would have remarked the dark elves, who paced around the human village...but that would be in an another time line...now...they had their hands free...as the one of an elven race...and they did shared the same ancestor as those of alfheimr...so they have easily seen the barricade that guarded the oak tree...and thus ,they had no problems entering it...


	54. The Mighty And The Weak...

"now that the  queen hel is in between marriages,she has , finally accepted the other proposal..."  
the dark elf strolled with a satisfied smirk upon his face and hands loosely clasped behind his back...the guard only nodded,as if he indeed cares for the matters the of the subject...

"and,so the gift for my future wife would be in order."  
mror has positioned himself at the large desk ,barely glancing at the map of niflheimr.  
"have you brought in the alfheimers?"

"which ones,my lord?"

"lady valera and her mother,of course...i do not care for the peasants!"

"oh,the thing is...that...um...well..."

"well ,what?"

"will,the troupe was hungry,lord mror,and..."

"they have eaten them?"

"only the older female,my lordship...the banished princess is still in chains.."

mror has tiredly breathed out and returned to his measuring of this new realm that shall be united with theirs...

"well,no harm is done then.make sure she stays alive...she will be transported to niflheimr tomorrow...so arrange for her to be bathed,and dressed more suitably. "  
"very well..."

the guard was about to leave,but the leader lifted his head to ask...

"how did you prepared the older one?"  
"a stew ,with some herbs and spices ...directly shipped in from alfheimr...a true delicacy..."

"is any of it left?"  
"some,lord mror...should i tell the cook...that he sends it to your chambers ?"  
"yes."  
"alright...is there anything else you require?"  
"no,that is all..."  
........................................................................................  
upon the second ,or was it the third day of an unpromising quest ,fenrir s feet refused to take another step further ... this was amiss..  
"his scent ends right here."-he said after they got to the place with the marks , where a fire was burning  a day ago...

"he was here?you can not honestly depend upon your nose... that is ,undoubtedly,the most ridiculous thing i have ever heard..."  
sif scolded him...and searched for a hint of humor in his little performance,yet he was uncommonly worrisome.

"oh,if you do not know a part of it,sif."  
"so...what now...?"  
she spread her arms and made a full circle on her heels..

"perhaps,we should go back...i am troubled about his mother.her condition..."

"that is a point,there..she is not recovering as fast sa she should...we should collect some of the nettle,adyssa said she needs it for the tea."

fenrir stood up from his squatting position ,stretched a bit and started walking the path that led them here...she has immediately joined him.

"is it true that lady valera and her mother were not speaking to each other ?"

the walk to the oak tree house shall be lengthy ,and a conversation just might shorten the perceiving of that duration.and opening the dialogue with a mutual theme could not be entirely inappropriate,he thought.

"true,but none of them told me why this was so."  
sif s tone was phlegmatic .she never minded other people s business.  
"hmmm..."

why did his lady had this wall between them...still....

"and what about you...you do not seem to be an traditional little miodgardian...you were not even astounded by the fact that valera is an elf,or that i am from asgard...you havent,actually told me where are you coming from..."

fenrir grinned...so ,she was thinking of him...

"that ,dearast lady sif,will stay a secret for bit longer ...but i shall tell you all about it.one day..."  
she suspiciously smilled ...

"alright...how did you and lucien have met...?"

"just,the usual way ."

"the usual way ? by stalking the village girls?"  
"oh,no...eyesighting ....the birds."

"oh,the birds,was it?"  
"yes..."  
he was blushing...and was terrible at lying.  
and she did saw the change of the color of his cheeks...

"one thing,though...it is a strange coincidence that you two are so much like."  
fenrir bit his lip...  
"yes,yes it is...a coincidence..."  
she would ask him more about it so he acted quickly.

"i am surprised that you are still willing to stay ...as a guest...of lady valera..."  
"after this i shall be leaving..."

"what....i am sure that the hostess would be ...disappointed...besides,where would you go?"

"where the road takes me."

and that was the end of the talk ...the raven haired man was principally quiet the whole time...and sif found silence to be both understanding and uncomfortable,but definitely more comfortable than those stares fenrir directed her way...  
he was quite handsome though ,but too young...she was not ready for some trivial an affair...her heart was recently broken to the shreds...perhence it shan't be whole ever again...and she has to experience her freedom...attaching to this chicken that barely left the nest was something that would slow her down...or would it...his orientation was good,and she was mostly confident that he had let her win ,during their sparring practices...  
it was the noon of the next day when they have reached the familiar oak tree...the house was visible to all...the barrier was gone...they ran into the house...all was destroyed...the dishes and vases were smashed into pieces...the tables,chairs,beds were cut down...and the two women  were nowhere in sight...

"who would have done something like this?"

fenrir was wide-eyed,but the warrior woman was dignified in her actions.  
sif knew that in this kind of a situations ,one must first search for an indications...

"do you see anything out of the ordinary?"-she asked.

"you mean ,besides..."-he gestured to all...

she sighed,and then something caught her eye...

"an arrow,a svartalfheimr s arrow!"  
"the dark elves? but, surely they would not have come here!"

"oh, no! if they indeed have,we must inform thor!"

she then,ran outside and started calling for someone called heimdallr...  
fenrir followed her bewilderedly ...  
........................................................................................  
on the neutral ground...far beyond the reach of asgard...thor in his finest armour waited for his newest and ally,the dark lord mror...soon the mjolnir shall be brought to him ,and soon he shall finally be able to see...


	55. No Time To Cry...

he let them believe he was lacking of knowledge or awareness in general...that he was uneducated or unsophisticated,in short,an ignorant...that he was the one to rely upon their word....ha! by valhalla...he was the son of odin,he was a king ...and for a good cause ...once he receives the dark gift of sight and the weapon that breaths with him...he shall hath his retribution upon the dark elves...they had ventured to propose something so preposterous...that he so leisurely gives them his beloved realm...and furthermore ...all realms under his protection....oh no...if he has learned anything from his ,as he was convinced ,non-deceased brother,it was, to say one thing,do the other,and think of the third...  
they all stood in a circle ,around the stone of a countless potency ,the power of svartalfheimr ,and with the mjolnir right next to it...the ceremony an aesirs could not comprehend ...nor could he comprehend why has the hammer remained on its position...he called for her,yet there was not sign of hers obedience to him ....patience thor...,patience...  
the dark elves grinned to the spectacle of this blond fool and his naivety...this ceremony was not meant to grant him his vision back,but to drain him of his life essence ....  
.......................................................................................................  
somewhere in the cold,moist dungeon,she sat,  
with her dry throat and eyes wet,  
the sounds of shackles and her cries,she only wished she could say goodbye...  
the song , a mournful song she heard on midgard,during the time of a black death,a plague,suddenly found its place in her thughts...as if it was to cheer her,or lif her spirits...but in a mocking way...a cynical way...

 

grievous despair, full of madness,  
endless languor and cursed life,  
filled with tears, anguish and torment,  
doleful heart which lives in darkness,  
ghostly body at the brink of death,  
I have ceaselessly,continually;  
and so I can neither be healed nor die.  
Disdain, harshness without joy,  
sad thoughts, deep sighs,  
Great anguish locked in the weary heart.  
Fierce bitterness borne secretly,  
mournful expession or without joy,  
dread which silences all hope,  
are in me and never leave me;  
and so I can neither be healed nor die.  
Cares and concerns which have continued forever,  
bitter waking, shuddering sleep,  
pointless labor , with languid expression,  
doomed to the torment of grief,  
and all the evils which one could ever  
tell or think about, without hope of cure,  
torment me immeasurably;  
and so I can neither be healed nor die  
Princes, pray to God that very soon  
he will give me death, if he does not wish  
by any other means to cure the suffering in which I so bitterly anguish  
and so I can neither be healed nor die.

 

she could only move her legs...there were still burns there,but gratefully to that ointment her mother made, she will be better and more effective within few days...but it did not matter at all...perhaps...she will found herself in the kingdom of the dead...maybe today...maybe some days after ...indeed,she will,but not in a way she had thought...

they had separated them...they took adyssa...they grabbed her by her limbs and carried her into the darkness...there was no voice of her after that....and valera heard the rumors...of what the dark elves did to the alfheimers...but she doubted that anyone would be so inhuman...could be....she prayed for her mother and her pitiful existence,...that she is set free....and thanked the norns her son was far away...

while gazing into nothing,for nothing is all she could gaze at...her memories went to the moment when the doors opened...  
"mother?"  
"mother"-asked lucien..  
"valera"-adyssa nodded...as if she remembered herself,she had swiftly straighten her rumpled skirt and removed the hair from her face...whatever burden of horror she had been through ,she would rather die than appear in her worst.

Valera slowly touched lucien s shoulder:"son, this is your grandmother."

"my grandmother?!but how?how did i knew nothing of her?why has she come here?and why now?"

"you have so many questions,boy!"-adyssa said coldly,with a frozen smile which was attached to hers somewhat austere appearance.

"all of them will be answered,but please,leave your mother and me to discuss few matters ."

valera's wounds took the best of her then... and she closed her eyes for a duration of a several hours...  
"you have a fever.."-a voice forced her to lift those heavy lids...  
"i thought i was dreaming..."  
"you weren't .here, i made you some medicine...and some tea...you should drink it. now!"  
"i cannot..."  
"always so stubborn.."  
"i ll drink it later ...then..."  
adyssa smiled.her smile was something that seemed to be stolen from another person and sewed onto her porcelain face...it was an unconventional sight ...and her daughter could only stare at it....and try to contemplate what was behind it.

"how did you find me...?"  
"i didnt.lady sif,has found me.and afterwards ...we met your son...i would never guessed that you could be able to take care of a child,on your own...but you have proven yourself.he is a fine boy.manners...respect for the others...and generosity .and he has a royal blood.have you told him that he is a prince?"

"no..."  
valera lifted herself and took a sip of the boiled nettle with honey...  
"why not?!"  
"because..i desired for him to be just that...a generous,respectful,decent person...all that you ..."

"that i ..what?am not?"

there were few greys among those golden curls that fell over her eyes...she left them there...in a way they were protective,...for if her mother desired to have a quarrel she has chosen a wrong place ,time and a person...valera didn't have any strength for this...  
the older woman,who,now ,valera saw ,has changed from that plain midgardian attire into one of valera s gowns, hurried to the shelf and took some dried herbs...then after she combined it all together,she added some hot water ...her backs were all one could see.

"...i have to admit...that i,...i was not always right...about you .perhaps...sometimes i was even too...harsh.."  
if she was to see the face of the younger woman,she would witness an uttermost incredulity ...those icy blues were so large one could mistake them for crystals..she must be dreaming...the fever...

"i might even say that ...that i am proud of what you have done."  
"you...are...proud...of me?"  
"have i not told you that before?"  
"never."  
"well...either you did not deserve it or...i didn't paid that much an attention to you."

"please!all your attention was upon me...and the wealth you wanted to gain through me !"

adyssa continued mixing those herbs,but visibly faster...a silence has fallen upon them,...

"i treasure other things now...and if you permit me ...i would like to stay here ...for a while ...i think i have a right to get to know my grandson .or would you take that away from me?"  
"it depends solely upon lucien."

"it was you who orchestrated me to be banished!"  
her mother nsapped...as if she was planning to mention that ,when it was most convenient.or even,if it was not...

"and it was you who did something to loki!"  
"what!what have i done?!"  
"i ...i do not know...frigga said she shall carry the secret to her grave,if she can..."  
"so you do not know anything about your husband..?"  
"no."

silence...  
"i think this is only overmuch for the frist day...you do need your rest..."  
"mother...what...where have you been all this time...?"  
adyssa s head fell ...  
"if you have an ounce of respect you shall let me be...some things should be buried...forsaken.do not query me of may past...again."

it must have been something truly horrid ,for her mother possess the will of the dozen men.she never admits the defeat...but now...she was ,yet a shadow of woman she once knew.  
adyssa looked at her own feet...the determined feet that took her to that distant city of asgard,five days of a ride to the south...without money,or protection...she was forced to beg...but she would rather starve...men have noticed her standing there... lost on the streets...one of them offered his...help...for a ...trade...that is how it all begun ....he came to her often...she had hoped for a marriage...he laughed at her and called her after her vocation...

her worst fears have came true...disgraced and rejected...she sought her fortune on midgard ...far form her shame...here,it all occurred the opposite way...an older man proposed to her,despite of what she has been doing for a living .he needed a woman s touch in his tavern,he said.he owned a tavern...that was something...he ,who ,at first presented himself as a merry ,joyful person...soon displayed his other side...he has been drinking ,of course...andthen his personality would have changed immensely...if she was not as strong as she had led others to believe,she would...she would...

"mother..."-the breakable voice of valera ,brought her back to the present...to this modest,yet sweet little home within a tree.which smelled of numerous flowers and herbs...even butterflies would have fly through the room,as if it was their natural habitat.

"you are welcome to stay.if you wish..."  
adyssa turned to her.she did not expect that...kindness...compassion...

"thank you."  
she must have suffered beyond measure,for she never tried to hide the tears.she never had tears...and that moved her daughter ...who started crying for her.and in her name...  
adyssa took few heavy steps towards the daughter she once has ridiculed and wounded ....the truth is..she was afraid,that valeria's beauty might have outshine hers...a mother envious of her child...

but the yesteryears could not be redeemed...the present could....and thus the finer tomorrow's would come .it was in their hands now ...what shall await for them...and their hands were holding one another.  
if that moment could only last ....the doors downstairs had slammed...

 

  
the doors of the cell had slammed...  
"on your feet,alfheimr!you are going to niflheimr!"  
\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
the rotation of an observatory was slowing down...fenrir s head was spinning from the magical beauty of all that was beheld here...the space,the suns,the castle that was floating in the air...the rainbow bridge...

  
"heimdallr! where is the king,i must inform him of...!"  
"lady sif!"  
the gate keeper spoke in his most disturbing tone: "i have feared of this day...for i have served both king bor and king odin,and i had hoped that thor shall be the wisest and most righteous of them all...!"

  
"what has happened to him? is he in danger ?"  
"he has signed the truce with the svartalheimrs.and now he is  beyond mountains, ready to receive their dark gift."  
"no!thor would never..!"  
"i saw it ! i...saw...it,lady sif!"  
his golden eyes went to both young fenrir and her...  
"i only let you enter...so that you may stop him before it is too late."

 


	56. Leave me be...

lucien was wearing the same shackles which fandral once had ...just by the rust on them,they seemed to be dating from a few thousand years ago...so tight,so surprisingly heavy...it was preferable for him not to move at all...no doors were open,yet someone s soft steps reached his very ears...it was that young witch...he would see her coming from in front of where he was sitting,yet he did not...as if the darkness split in half and she stepped outside of it.

  
"why do you keep me here?"

  
he showed no fear,and his sturdy voice did not shiver .that grimase on her however did not led into either direction ,where one could translate it s meaning...was she glad he was passive agressive or was she already prepairing a fitting forfeit.

  
"so,it is true.you know nothing."

  
"what,what a i suppose to know?i did you no harm,thus i can not comprehend why am i bounded and restrained like a beast that belongs in a cage."

  
"that is within my range of perceiving .and such a detriment .you did harm to no one,with an exception of yourself ...through your whole existence ,you have not experienced anything that would transform you into a man.you are still,but a boy."

again...was that a mockery,or were there any traces of a compassion ?

  
"who are you and why am i here?tell me!"

  
hel had sat next to him on that granit .  
"i am so unimaginably mournful that i am forced to do this to you...."

she bit her lower lip and stared at her hands...when they met, in the woods she wore a glove ..now she was not ...was lucien a proper gentleman or was his self control so well balanced that he expressed no disgust by what he has seen?

"my son is missing...the older one..."-she whispered...leaving the words to melt with the silence...

  
"he is gone.and...one...one of the reasons why he has abandoned me ,was his appearance."  
her large eyes turned to him,as if they wanted him to drown in them.

"in my mind...he would have looked just like you...he would have resembled his brother."  
"his brother...you mean...fenrir?!"

  
"yes..."  
"but ...fenrir is my..."

  
"...as well...i am most certainly aware of that fact ."  
"but how can that be?do...do we have a mutual father.?"

  
she nodded..  
"yes.you do...yours father,and fenrir s father...is also my father."  
"i do not understand."

the mask of a wounded little girl,who has lost something precious to her heart , was immediatelly taken away from her...the face underneath it had the black sparks in her eyes and a wide ,wild grin...

"i do owe you that much...brother...it is quite simple...i once love a man,who is,at the same time...my father.i had bore him two sons...he wronged me and married your mother...there is where the story of a lucien,the loved son starts...and here is where it shall end.i need your body,little brother...when i do find my eldest ,jormungadr,i shall transfer his spirit into you .a chance for a normal life...it pains me to do so,yet...you have never truly apparecited what you could have...you have been clenching yourself upon your mother s skirts ...bowed your head and did nothing. i...i who was an abomination,i fought...i have taught my sons to think for themselves ...to fight for themselves ...yes,lucien..i pity you.so ill do you a favor...i shall free you of your meningless being .and give it to some one who craves for it."  
\--------------------------------------------------

  
the mighty legs of a magnificent stallion have made a path in the filed of poppies .  
upon him was a woman in the blue velvet gown...

  
"faster sleipnir,faster!"  
the horse,who managed to gallop effortlessly with all his eight legs,put all his strength into them and became one with the wind.then a thick net was threw over the two of them and they both landed into the sea of a crimson field flowers.  
the dark elves...three of them...  
"food!"  
one leered tightening the net s rope at the end where sleipnir was.

 

  
"this one shall be equaly tasty boiled,fried over a fire or roasted..."  
"what about the woman?we can sell her."

  
this men were obviously uninformed,or received a poor education.for they recognized not the queen of asgard and her grandson.  
frigga has recalled the protective spell,and tried to conjure it ,but the net,which was made out of their darkness,has simply annihilated it...

  
"stop this!leave us now,and no harm shall come upon you!"

  
"hahahaha!do not jest woman."-they were serious in their derision.  
"do you know who i am?"

  
"if you do not shut up,you will end up the same way as your horse here...we do not fancy midgardians..or whatever it is you are...however,he have been wondering in this norns forsaken realm for far to long.and our eating habits have slightly expanded."

  
he was literally drooling over them,and sleipnir tried to kick them off,but the more he writhed the more entangled in the net he ended up to be.."  
"release them."  
they all turned for about 180 degrees.

  
"look ! an another strange looking midgardian."  
"no...that is an aesir,Gorgoroth."  
"you seek death aesir,ey?"  
"i am a jotun,and i have brought you,yours."  
\-------------------------------------------------  
two heads had been peering from behind the columns..  
the ritual has begun...the jotun,muspelheim ,and stahlheimer scum,walked slowly around the mjolnir and the other stone...they carried torches and chanted,of course...thor was instructed to say the specific words at the specified time and to rise his hands when needed...  
sif still refused to believe her eyes...that thor would trade his honor for a sight...the thor she knew,her childhood friend ,the first one who gave her the opportunity to prove herself worthy to others... To attest her own potential. before, only man were allowed this...now she has opened the doors for other women to follow their path in the world of men.just as much as thor has opened the doors for her.

fenrir has blinked nervously...not only that he immediately disliked the king for his falseness and greed...but also for beings sif s former lover.and her eyes were unable to tell lies .she still felt something for him.well,now she has the privilege to enjoy this unholy feast...

  
"if he,indeed does receive the darkness i shall kill him!"  
sif elbowed him in the ribs..

  
"no,thor is not like this!i know him! they must have done something to him...their magic is beyond my reasoning...but...he would not sold his beloved asgard!"

  
the mjolnir has shone ,along with the unnamed stone...their combined power was bathing the blond king in the grey rays .no one could tell what was happening to him.  
fenrir was not the one to wait for the results...not when something so dangerous was occurring ..with his closest friend, his own mjolnir,his sword ,he penetrated into the group...he kicked the other stone from the circle, and that  has disconnected it s energy from the one of mjolnir and thor was released from the clutches of the dark bewitchment.  
"what have you done!"-one of the beings squealed.

a music to his ears.


	57. The  Thousand Thunders

the revelation has stricken him once,twice...the elves tried to murder him...they either sensed his an authentic plan to disturb their agenda ...or they have conspired from the very start gainst him...by his judgment...both...probably...  
the other thing carried an even greater an importance to the blind king of asgard...he sight was brought back ...the light took it,the darkness retrieved it!  
it has been so long...that he first thought,his mind was playing tricks upon him...he just stood there,blinking taken aback....yet...all was clear....the beings around him,the torches ..the hammer...  
however no one else had noticed this an accidental restoration of his powers...,  
also the mjolnir ..he could feel her might...their connection was reestablished once more...  
this young man whose spirit seems to be untamed just as his was...he saved him...he saved the whole realm with one careless gesture...yet,even if that was so,thor shant gift him accordingly to his merits...the glory shall be the one of him...the son of odin...as it was proclimed...as it was written...for this was some mere peasant...estimating by his outfit...but ...what was he doing here...

"i advise you all to step away from the stones ...and the king".

  
he boy  said,pointing the tip of his sword to the priest s neck...  
then sif appeared from somewhere and stepped protectively in front of thor.

"what are we to do with this stone?"  
"um...let me think ...but do not touch it...!"  
"i know what to do with it!"

thor said...causing all heads to turn his way ...  
his large hand lifted mjolnir and rose it high towards the heavens...that night shall be remembered as the night of thousand thunders....cleverly ,mror decided not to participate in the event...

 

 

  
.....................................................

 

 

 

  
he would not have any sympathy for those who desired to steal the life of his son and mother...he would not even have the sympathy for their corpses...in fact he walked over them,causing the blood to gush...  
frigga had something powerful ...beyond measure... with her,something what enabled the raven haired sorcerer to utilized that part of his seidr which laid in the shadows for far too long...that jetser, william could never reach in that deep cave of the magical  knowledge...norns,loki hated him...the thick net disappeared...he helped his non-mother to get onto her feet,and sleipnir appeared between them and started to nibble and lick his face...this was his mother....he was not quite mindful why was loki smelling so strangely through all this centuries...but all was well now...

"are you alright? both of you?"

that deep melancholic voice now possessed the healing power...frigga and the white horse would agree.  
"yes...thank goodness, you arrived just in time! we have been searching for you..."

the woman breathed out.

  
" why?why risk your safety..."

"the stones...i have stolen the stones from the royal tomb...you are the only one who can control them and subjugate them ,so that they may serve you ..."  
loki s head fell forward.

"i thought so...yet against whom should they be used..."  
so many names...yet he wanted to hear from her...

  
frigga lowered her head...  
"svartalfheimers and..."  
"and..."  
the queen then fell on her knees..

"i beseech you ,loki...if it comes to that.... grant thor a chance for a redemption,please... he cuased you great pain...but he is still your brother...and my child..."  
"i can not give you my word that i shall be so merciful...mother...but i ll...try."  
he lied of course...there were no emotions in his words...the coldness of jotunheimr ran trough his veins and now his heart...

she did not want to speculate upon that,for she knew that he knew that she knew,that he told no truth....

"there is an another urgent motive for us to rejoin here...now that you have the stones...you do not need hel s permission to enter niflheimr."  
"what will i find there?"

so much ...oh so much...death...not of a body,but of a spirit...nifelheimr truly will lead him to his end...

  
"your wife and your son."

............................................................................  
"you are the son of hel,my niece..?"

there's absolutely nothing incredible of how the fear has fallen upon the servants and all of his subjects, now that he was blind no more.he could see....he could see all their looks of an abhor...there was no room for that anymore...an obedience,silence,and an endless serving...was all that was left.

  
once more ,he was like a sun upon his grand throne ...  
the time for the celebration shall have to wait...even though, his enemies have died righteously...and rapidly ....many more awaited...enemies like mror,the jotuns,muspelheimers...niflheimers...  
sif was not present to defend this boy...she was not allowed to...they met in the woods...thor knew that coincidences do not exist...they were greatly underestimated.those incidents...called coincidences....

"why have you come here?"

"i told you...i met lady sif...and followed her here ,after the dark elves attacked our alfheimr host on midgard."

he did not mentioned lucien.

"you are aware that your mother has signed the pact with the svartalfheimr?"  
"no."  
it was a lie...

"it is a lie!"  
that familiar roar has caused the guards to flinch.

"no...it is not.why would i defend you then? i wanted to serve the great and all-powerful king thor...to fight when you give the command...to...."

"enough,helson! it was as an act of a distraction.you jotun half-breeds are all the same...starting from your grandfather loki...you all desire this chair... it s symbolic...it s power."

before he was about to deny..negate this...blasphemy ,thor gave the sign...and the guards surrounded fenrir.

"maybe your mother could reconsider her decision when she hears that you reside in the dungeons."

"damn you,king thor!you have my word that one day i shall sit upon that chair!"


	58. We Belong Together...

the darkness has met the light...green light...  
"hel!"

loki waited not... down the corridor, then left...he moved apace , fed with an ire.

"hel!i know you are in here!show yourself !now!"

no reply was granted ...even the servants had remained in their holes ,corners and crevices...  
his wide eyes flashed in the pale light or the torches...

"hel!damn you!where is valera?!"

the silence,that has  engulfed his calling , was louder than any sound...he throbbed onto the the bapeless wall,....she was in here somewhere,teasing him,distracting him with her non present presence...it pained him ...he had a large part in her diabolical change...there was a wide onyx wall in front of him...the runes upon it were written in blood...not many knew the meaning behind them...

"lasciate ogni speranza, voi ch'entrate!"  
"abandon all hope ye who enter here! "

he spoke loudly ...loudly enough,so that she may hear...the wall transformed into a smoke...and the the smoke has perished,leaving an entrance...  
hel's underground dungeons...  
......  
every step of his, resonated through the tunnel and returned back to him...the infrastructure of it was designed in a way that the cells,that were on the each side,were invisible to all,but few....there was no way out,only a way in...the escape was impossible... no sounds indicated anyone to be trapped within them...,no movements,nothing...this gravely silence was absurd and suffocating...the smell of the dust,burned dust and the blood...was interrupted by this soft,gentle one of a violet...that scent was not something he would had ignore...it was only too intimate ...and it came from the cell,he could visualize , on the right...

"i shall deal with you,after i deal with your son,you perfidious wench...or perchance before that...my mood,is lately,a bit variable ...you see...oh,and now i shall leave you with your lover,...for he is the dust upon which you sit."

the daughter of loki,was within her own element and realm...whatever reason she had, to be so wicked,or if there was the lack of the same one ,it all somehow was falling upon valera's shoulders... as if her destiny led her here...this is how it should be...she was on the end of her strengths ...let the norns make their final decision ...who was she to protest against their will and verdict.  
after the words of an iron were spoken, not a night ago,all life was evaporated from her being..she knew her mother was dead...hel could not restrain himself from announcing it enthusiastically...

"she did not suffer...much...do not be sad for that foul mother of yours..."  
if she joins adyssa ,she would find peace...and freedom...but, lucien...was hel bluffing...he could not possibly be here...he just could not...  
the doors opened...whas her time arrived...already...?  
...............................................................................................................

sif was unable to retain herself or pretend to be tranquil.. she paced along her old room ...which now had a function of being her personal dungeon..locked in...like a malefactor...her mind was still on the battlefield of all the recent chaotic occurrences.. perceiving them was doable,yet to deeply grasp them ,was a formidable an assignment...thor was back to his old self...or she wanted him to be...for,indeed this version of thor was...almost sadistic ...hard hearted..after he heard fenrir s name,he ordered that the boy must be immediately chained...why...was fenrir a refugee, like her...what was he responsible for...he was a troublous,rogue young man,still,she could not fathom that he would do something so horrid,that he must be taken to the dungeons ..she has to have a word with thor about it...

  
speaking of the devil...without a warning or even a plain knock,the king stormed in ,honoring her with his luminous presence.  
she bowed reluctantly...  
he has barely turned to the guards...  
"leave us."  
...  
"thor..."

"sif...long time no see..."-he sniggered, almost barbarically to this cheap witticism of his .sif,as always ,showed no change on her calm and impersonal an expression.

"thor...my king...why am i being held in here ?why is fenrir ?did he do something?"

"fenrir is the son of hel.and you are aware of her relationship with the lord mror..."

"the son of hel...?!i did not know that she has children..."

"my mother told me that she has bore two sons...the father is still unknown .she refused to gave me the name...i thought it could be fandral...yet ,he died before she conceived...she's a witch ,and only norns know ,with whom she might be associated with...with what creatures..."

sif found herself being pulled on more sides...did fenrir approached her ,so that he might get to thor...was he a traitor...thus ,was she a traitor as well...

"i...i ...am lost for words...he did not seem to have any ill intentions...i would not bring him here if..."

"he most certainly has...he threatened me...if he did not ,interrupted the ceremony ,that the dark elves led ,to quote his grandfather, the liesmith,i would have his head on a stick..."  
he shortened the distance between them...

"sif,look at me..."  
her eyes slowly rose until they found his blue ones...there was a disappointment behind them....she felt betrayed on more levels...from more than one person... including him.

" you do not hold any ...feelings for him?do you?"

"no...no,i do not."

"so,i do not have a competition ...?"

"a competition?what are you saying?you threw me away,as if i was some old ,used rag...like i am worth of nothing...and after all i sacrificed for you.."

he cut her with a kiss...it was a raw,passionate,and warm an encounter of their lips ...no one could kiss her the way he did...and she forgot where and when she was ,for a moment...  
"thor...i..."

"sif...i have let you go...and suffered greatly for it...if you allow me,i shall try to redeem myself...and to compensate the humiliation,which i have caused you. if..."

then the king kneeled and took her hand into his large one...

"sif...would you stand by my side...as you did before,but now,as my queen...?"

 

                                                                        


	59. One Shall Fall...

this was a contrast to what sif would have wanted...prefered...this was a tale of an another woman,not hers...but how many options did she have?a female an individual,in her forties,unmarried,non-widowed...and no matter how independent she truly was...she would be casted out from all and every...her education and background was scarcer than the one of thor's...she was raised to watch her patriarchal father and the submissive mother.the ethicists of asgard would gladly call her  the worst sort of a woman,a disgraced woman...an equal to a whore...and a whore has more privileges...

"you should act more lady like sif,no man would desire you or marry you ,if you have the manners of a boy..."  
her mother  would have  said.over and over again...  
perhaps ,that's why she did act like a boy.norns gave her the abilities to be more ...to seek for more...to do more...or was she misleading herself the whole time?she feared of that the most.

sif never held herself to be overly lucid or an above intelligent...eloquence was not a part of what she was...many times,when loki or...fandral spoke,she would simply stare at them ...through them...but the energy,the raw force,and an adrenaline,the warm,cold or pluvious wind in her hair,that spear in her hand...that's what she had understood...and she has found a man with whom,she shares those qualities .was it wrong to consent to receive the proposal,then? to be the queen of the first realm under valhalla?

 

  
however,she shant ever let herself dress in the clothes of a naivety...men were treacherous...,and they never paid a price for the sharpness of their tongues...nor the filth of their doings...but ,women were a stronger gender,for a reason ,it seems...they had endured their flaws....her mother has done so,and now sif,in her long white wedding gown ,shall continue that tradition.the wedding was organized only for the members of the court .

it was to be a rather poor wedding,by the criterias of asgard...thor decided upon the separation from a common populace...no one could stand against his word.the capital was still standing strong...the dark elves had retrieved,after ...the incident,but sif watched the suns...for no reason she whispered...  
"one shall fall ..."

  
\--------------------------------------------------------------------

  
fenrir was "a special guest" in the dungeons...which meant ...he was to be fed with an old bread and stained water...every other day...he was there a weeks or so...the days were exceedingly longer here...those suns were distracting him,and affecting his an entire organism ...his blood was boiling and his head was aching...too hot...too claustrophobic...he has to get out...how,in the name of niflheimr could he count the damned days...

the sounds of the trumpets and horns were released through the land...  
he slid to the floor....the marriage...sif was wed......she turned her back on him,the moment thor resolved to toy with her once more...both sif and thor...thor and sif have made a hole within his heart...fenrir s ego was not in the first plan,oh no...

something extending far underneath from the surface...no matter how long it shall take,but he will have his retaliation...unaware,simultaneously, in the rhythm of the drums ,which were then floors above him,he shas stricken the bewitched bars...and roared...to shift would mean an instant death.so when he felt that the wolf within, who desires to unleash himself ,slowly climbs to get out...he would went back into the shadows... return to his small nook...when...a hand touched his face. a hand of a shadow?

"hush, now.be quiet..."

"mother?"

"you did not think that i shall fall for that empty threats of thor ...he can not fight -when he does not see ...and with what or who he does not see...we have been witnessing that until recently .he was a foul an excuse for a man.he is not any better now."

"will you take me to niflheimr?"

"i can not...i am under the impression that something foreign is disturbing my seidr...but i can open the cell for you. afterwards ...you are on your own,fenrir..."

"on my own...but how can ...where can i go...thor would send his men.."

"use the paths ...where they eyes of heimdallr don't reach..."

"the paths which the eyes of heimdallr do not reach...that can be merely one place...the kings chambers..."

he sensed the smile of the shadow...

"indeed."  
.................................................................................  
hel helped her son from afar...she has received thor's unkind offer and declined it in her own an unpretentious way...by breaking all the unwritten boundaries and the rules cowered with the dust ...her son is quite prudent ,eager to do as he pleases,despite the consequences ,but prudent,neverthelss...and even more  so ...strong...if he kills the son of odin....then....she shivered of the thought...he could be the next king....thor has no heirs...and to risk sif s pregnancy....hel would not take the life of a child...she was a mother herself ...was she not?

  
and that is why she wanted only the very best of both...of all worlds for her sons...  
"better to be safe ,than ...sorry..."


	60. When Hopes Die....

the first thought that crossed her mind , when her vision fell upon her deceased husband , was the post tenable concept in which her soul enters the valhalla...he did not aged a day...he was still remarkably...he was remarkable in his own unique way....those in the world beyond ,wear the body in which they passed away...thus,loki must have died a long time ago...  
but , there was no snow where the gods feasted ...and here ,she was  laying upon the bed of the transparent crystalline solid,an ice...

"you slept for days ,valera....but the healer has predicted the positive changes within your immunity...and your awakening.."

"loki...am i dreaming....i must be...for you are a fragment of my imagination...the real loki is gone..."

"oh,but i am very much genuine and an authentic...and i am here..."

those pale long fingers of his softly connected with hers.what better proof of his presence than a tactile one?

"i was...delayed...now all lands in its true position...i have returned to correct the mistakes that others made ,as well as some of mine...and to claim back that what rightfully belongs to me ..."

he spoke calmly,yet she was not in peace...her beseeching,the remorseful demands...for him to elaborate his absence...to ease her ...all fell on the barren ground.  
he would fall silent when it came to where he was for all this centuries...

"i can not tell you that,wife.you wouldn't understand."

wife...how distant it sounded,yet so warm....like a warm tea or a gentle embrace...

"our son...have you find him?"

"no...he was not there..few others who had stayed alive,i have sent them to their lands..  
"no!"-her broken moan has encouraged him to wrap his arms around her...

"he is dead ,isn't he?"  
"i do not know....but i will find out.mark my words..."  
\------------------------------------------------------------------

helblindi was outside their chambers...the walls of the purest crystals captured his reflection for an perpetuity ...and when loki appeared...they did the same ...this walls had both ears and eyes...

"how is she?"  
it was only fair of the tall jotunar not to appear before a broken elf, who did not laid her eyes upon such a frightening creature . she had had her share of shocks for the time being.

"you may only imagine..."-loki breathed out.

the king of the fallow kingdom made a small gesture of an understanding.he had his sorcerer brother upon his side...what made the future planning to be ,  certainly , much an easier errand...loki was more eager to spill the blood of an enemy...more than he seemed to be during their last encounter...he was drastically different...not from the outside,but from the inside...which counts the most...how delightful.  
loki has let his, now ruby eyes, to shine with the distant glow...they had much to catch up to ...

"i am to draw the parallels of what i deem to be of a primary an importance...for me. and ,unfortunately that means to be in more than one place ,while an invasion lasts...whilst you distract the asgardians...i'll seek out lucien...we did agreed upon that part,yes?"

"yes."-said the giant.

they walked slowly among the transparent statues ...the wind that blew through the palace gave the melody to the walls...the ice was responding to it...this place was very much alive,despite the prejudices the asgardian threw against the jotuns...beautifully peaceful...that is what jotunheimr was...

"you tend to visit hel,i presume?"

"there is a lot of an unfinished business between us.i' do have the tendency to rectify it all."

"and if,for some reason you do not..."

loki stopped ...his vision went to the end of the hall...as if his thoughts were to follow...helblindi could only try to comprehend the depths, in which the smaller man has to lead his own battles . his younger brother did rarely had any fortune...he did not felt pity for him...for he knew not the half of his secrets and vices,but he also was in the mist of how one can assist such a closed hermit.

"if i do not...then...hel and i...hel...i mustn't preoccupy myself with the uncertainties of what is yet to come to the past.i must succeed."

"loki,would you accept my help with.."

the pale raven ,with the large crimson eyes snapped...his small stature could not diminish the rage and greatness which radiated from him.

"your army shall march along with the svartalfheimr,isn't that so?"

"it is."

"my liking for those monsters is fairly the one to be envious of ,however i need to know where ,indeed , do you stand in this game of a cat and the mouse?"

"you would like nothing more than to slit their throats,loki."-the large jotun laughed,and the ice below his feet cracked a bit,but instantly ,those cracks disappeared in they way they had appeared.

"you know me only too well,brother.i just might start believing that to be slightly dangerous... for yours truly."

"i would not go against my blood,loki."  
"perhaps...but,i would.  
\--------------------------------------------------------

the scent of someone approaching him,helped fenrir to hide within the right moment...the stairs that seemed to lead to the valhalla itself ,were stretching into the surrealistic infinity ..when he got an impression that his legs have lost their strengths against the basics of the physics,he climbed onto the desired floor....all the best for the wealthiest,ey? the curtains from the finest fabrics that hid these walls ,even from heimdallr...they were pulled all over the monumetal windows...the red carpet ...the blocks that contained the rays of the suns...

  
the largest doors,in the very middle of the hallway led into thor's chambers ...even the greatest fool amongst others of his kind,just had to read the runes upon them...or to gaze upon the sign of the thunderer on the door frame...he had no problems with entering .but he had the problem of not being quite sure what to do next ...he , is nothing...a nobody...in the terms of killing the mighty king of asgard...can he do this...he walked around the room ,stalling ,taking ,mostly needed ,deep breaths ,which will hopefully clear his troubled mind...

then someone moaned in the side room within the chambers...sif had few goblets too much ,upon this night, and was now awaiting for her husband,sprawled on the bed in the room with no lights...an aesir would have had difficulties with seeing anything...but fenrir was not an aesir.his night vision was the one a wolf would have had.  
her scent was an intoxicating one ..it was luring him....when he knelt next the bed...she reached out to the man she did expect to join her ...fenrir had allowed himself to be dragged him under the sheets...he was hoping that she would not mistaken him for an another...he was hoping...

 

 

 

 

                               

                             

 


	61. Hollow Inside...

"thor..."  
even in this drunken state ,she only thought of him...fenrir left her to rest and got himself dressed .however,something persuaded him to remain .he has savagely bit his lower lip and sat on the crimson chair in the corner.to watch her sleep peacefully...it caused a contradictory an effect within him...if he was made of glass ,he would be crushed...into numerous pieces of the shred ,scattered all over this wooden floor ... shining in the pale moonlight...that would have been a beautiful sight,yet no one would had considered it as such...only the pieces of shred...that is what fenrir was...his mother was right...those of nifelheimr are nothing,in the eyes of the others...

"i will make you love me sif...if that is the last thing i shall ever do...what attracts you to thor so much...if it is the fact that he is the king ? then,...then perhaps i should wait until he shows his wretched face...i am prepareto risk it all...all for you.i will be the next king of asgard..."

his thoughts were so loud that he had to block them...he was unsure if he was speaking out loud...but her even,calm breaths proved him to be wrong.she was undisturbed,in her blissfulness. in which she has fell, believing that all those caresses and touches were the evidential an act of love ...and that they were coming from the man she loved ..in her mind all was,at last ,perfect.

"leave him here,fellows !"

the doors ,in the main room were opened and the four men have, not so quietly , entered.  
it was a custom that ,after the unrestricted feasting, the drunken groom is practically being carried into his room...by his closest friends...did thor have any of them? this narcissistic king, was not in a right state of his mind..,or anything, to be more precise ...he could even faintly sit ...his heavy eyes were closing ...even the men who just left ,were laughing at this pathetic sight.

"oh, this will be too easy..."-fenrir had grabbed his sword...  
"only too easy..."  
\-------------------------------  
.  
the large lake of which the tales were spoken ...and of the monster within it ,was laying in front of them...the surface was so still,that it reminded of a mirror...in which the sky reflected itself ...the unnatural silence has fallen upon this land...one could not even hear the birds...  
"what are we doing here"- thought sleipnir.  
.frigga has gently patted him...

"the time before us is mostly uncertain,sleipnir. what it is certain is that all shall die...eventually...however,until the end...my end i hope to bring ,at least some justice and goodness to the world around us.there is still some strength in this old bones..."

the horse watched her with an expectancy...when she spoke in riddles,that ,indeed is something they were not...

"explain, grandmother.."

"what the black magic is capable of,the white one will provide the as well ...yet, in a better way ..now ,stand back sleipnir..."

frigga called in the mighty wind ....the waves ,came into their sight... they immediately have spread across the whole lake...and were becoming higher and higher...  
she lifted her hands towards it...and was lost ...in the white light of her oen seidr.

"i call you to rose from your darkness, jormungandr!"

sleipnir has hid behind the tree . he forced himself to stay calm...yet,he has never seen or felt so much disturbing energy ,and could not shook of this restlessness,which enveloped itself around him ..but then he heard a muffled,yet terrifying sound of something from the bottom of lake that responded to her calls...  
......................................................................

hel was upon her throne...one leg over the other...nervous,troublous...this very chair... once,she had perceived it to be a work of an art...a true description of a cynicism against this realm..the worst and the best of niflheimr,all summed up into this throne.it was made solely of one stone block ,decorated with the bones and weapons ...swords and spears...presently,she could not gaze at it, at all...where was fenrir?if thor had died she would be the first one to know...they did not caught him,did they?she was on the edge of biting her nails,a nasty habit ,the one ,she has forgotten about ...now it seemed to be  an appropriate diversion...  
her pale greens would ran over the names upon the grey scroll...there was no thor or fenrir upon it...yet...

she hated to acknowledge this ,but she was weariful...what evil was pushing her to encourage so much chaos..she could not care any less for the throne of asgard...however ,if one of her sons puts that crown upon his head,they would have the freedom ,which she praised thus many ...they would have it all..and no one will stop her to provide them with the best she can...not even the dark elves themselves...they did require her in their lines ,she did not need them...mror was a primitive and an imprudent beast ......  
she will deal with him...

...she took a deep breath ...the ramification of the men in her obscure existence was piercing through her flesh... fandral...no,she will not be admonished of his name...fenrir was not informed of his death yet...it was a mere moment of weakness...she ...she could have acted differently...more humanly ....  
no one...no one will ever be capable to despise her,as much as she is despising herself. nevertheless, outwardly ,she must remain invincible and forceful...even when her insides are hollow ..lucien...

"he did nothing to you,hel...set him free...and jormungandr...will he accept such a cruel,undignified death of an another ...when he looks in the mirror ,he will not see himself ,but the one who was murdered...the one,whose blood is upon your hands...no ,hel,there is still time...do not fall into the darkness...for then ,you shant find the light again".

the dark haired girl/ young woman leaped from the throne of an exitium...that voice that gave her no rest...she was about to release the brother she was so unfairly invidious of,when the green flash appeared in front of her.

loki stood there , tall and menacing,threatening,yet when she saw him ,she wanted for him to hold her tightly and to speak to her softly...to tell her that all this was merely a nightmare...a nightmare that has found its termination ..she wanted to be that small ,an innocent girl ,once more...in the time and space,where he,her strong ,father would protect her from all...

 

 

                                              

                                                                                   

.

"father...i ..i knew you did not die...i knew it..."

"do not try to confound me hel...where is lucien.?where is he?! what have you done with him?"

"you  have not seen me for centuries...but,you  are only  competent  to ask me about that miserable bastard!?"

her eyes were filled with tears .thus she moved to the shadows...he shan't see her weak...

"you hypocrite...you have two sons with me...those who were declined by you...just as i was...but,no...you are only worried about that whoreson, your precious fairy gave you..."

his fingers were around her neck, as he pushed her onto the wall..  
she didn't flinch ...in fact...hel fondly observed the way his nostrils were spreading,and his eyes scintillating under the red light of the torch..

"now you listen to me,and listen carefully , daughter...i will never forgive myself for what i have done to you...it torments me day and night...centuries upon centuries...i have no time to elucidate it to you straight away ...nor i desire .i wish to know where is my son...and if you do not tell me,then .."

"then what?what?! you'll kill me?do it...for your auric son is dead!"


	62. Liberty (Taken  For ) Granted...

the smaller one ,the bastard son of odin,has met angrboda when they were still fairly young. she was not yet 18,and he has just turned 20.to find an another who deeply cares for you,for who you,indeed are...a relationship where the covering of ones face with a mask ,or transparent pretenses are not requierd,but something to be abhorred of, ...both young in body,ancient within,inspired by the world beyond the visible world,interested in history ,art and the parctice of the occult ,they quickly found themselves to be unconsciously involved in this oldest game of love.

when the news of a child within the young witch s womb reaches the ears of the all-mighty king,he has called for his most trusted mag.odin would saw him only in four eyes...for this was a man from a forbidden realm,an enemy...he feared not of that,what the other seidr masters feared .the darkness itself...odin had a very personal and special task for him...to invoke the death upon the child of loki.and upon all of his bloodline...if there shall be any.

this man,who sacrificed the centuries in the land of two suns,for the sake of the knowledge ,which he is to take back to his own homeland,svartalfheimr,obediently did as his "master had desired.one day ,mror shall lead his army against asgard,but not now,not yet...patience...patience is a virtue....

death arrived silently...it has stolen two small boys and loki s bride,right from his arms...their lives have slipped through his fingers,...at,that time,frigga who did knew nothing of the cause,had foreseen the death of her grandchildren...thus she did all to prevent the death of all of them...only one escaped its terrible fate.her healing power ,loki s will and the love for the unborn child have sealed the future of asgard...even death itself could not match the seidr which was flowing through the veins of a small hel.even then,she was too strong...she fought for her first breath...yet ,death has left its mark upon the newborn...she gave her a gift...of destruction and dying...death itself entered hels body ,and has become one with her.

from the dawn of time,all breathing creatures accept,that their time shall expire...sooner or later ...but what of the death...does death has its ending point?or is it, yet ,a state?  
hel was near of finding the partial answer to that question...a question she never considered to ask... the time beyond this did not interested her,as nearly as the present one...she had to have what she wanted now!  
so she was in an unjustiful present,where he,who owed her thus many ,was accusing her of something which has not formulated yet...what had stung her the most ,was his incapability of seeing through her layers...he declined her calls through their bond...he believed that she did kill her brother.  
that unnerved ,and distressed her so,that she did not took another step back,both in a figurative and a literal sense...  
her father was mostly worthy of all those foul lies and perverse vulgarims that came from her.

when the struggle for a verbal dominance showed no progression,she has let him to try and force the truth out of her...do not underestimate your opponent...ever...for loki was and shall always be the one to see into ones soul.the meanings behind her attacks, were a daggers to his heart...he was prepared for this ...in another place and time,he would ask her for forgiveness..but she was a threat to his innocent son...and he was determined to protect them all...  
his daughter was too much like him...and he  screamed in an eruption of hate ,pain and agony which werea  buried burden...  
he blinked few times...somehow,unaware of getting into this state,but he did found himself involved in an act of choking hel, while he held her high above his head...she felt her her lungs burning ,and while her eyes were closing..there in front of her she saw the figure formed out of a mist...  
it was death...

  
"am i too be free ? am i to finally find my own peace?"-thought hel.

  
"no,...you can not die...i will not permit it...you will day.... by your own hand".

  
the figure pointed to the limb in question...  
the flow of tears was bathing loki s sunken face...what was he doing?he is to murder his own child!he loved hel above all others,and now he has lost himself in this labyrinth of deranged reality ? a candle was lit...not in the hall,but inside of him...it flickered upon the old table...and at the table,a man was sitting,leaning backwards.....it was that mortal...william appeared to be only overly weary of ...everything. trapping him in here,in this dungeon could not erase him...

  
"if you do no find the way to break the link between yourself and hel...you will bring the death upon many...including your other children."

  
"no! nor i shall listen to your lies ,you unbearable disease from the time beyond...nor shall i defile my hands with her blood...."

 

                                                                              

  
"...i do understand...better than you may think...but you are denying and disbelieving in the catastrophe ,which i have seen."

  
"do you yearn,then...for my position?would you kill hel,willingly...without a remorse?"

  
william only lowered his head...

  
"no...i did that once..in my time...but she did took her own life...i ...however,had pushed her in that direction.i am still here,for a reason...perhaps ,to redeem myself..."  
"then you should better disappear! you have no business here with me..."

  
the scenery went black,but loki will have to prepare himself for more than an  advice, or whatsoever   william had in store for him.  
when he carefully placed hel on the ground, she was not moving...neither was her heart beating...the worst scenario that went through his whole being ,was replaced by a vast amount of gladness ,the moment when she started coughing...  
....................................................................................................  
the simple thirst has woken sif and forced  her to get out of the bed. she wrapped herself in the silver silk and entered the main room...fenrir stood above thor...in what seems to be an attempt of a beheading...  
before his hand made a prompt half circle in the air,he found sif upon his back ...the two of them were a jest to the balance of the balance made a jest at them...now,crawling on the floor she placed a hand over his mouth,as an evidently a silencing gesture .

  
"what are you doing!how did you get in here?"

  
"how does it look like...thor takes both you and the realm for granted ,sif! how can you marry him,after all he made you go through?you deserve a better man by your side!"

  
"you are a fool! it was mine,and only mine decision alone .i love thor,and if i ever see you again here,i will call the guards! you're in luck that i do  consider you to be  a friend! but ,i shall not allow any madness of the sort...and attacking my husband,in his weakened state is an act of a true coward."

  
"you love him?still?! ha! for his wealth...i have no doubt about that!you are like all other women...perhaps i was wrong about you."

  
that remark which was made in the moment of the pure bitterness ,caused her to move away from him.and she has done it quite swiftly,as well...for norns forbid that he sees how deeply he has wounded her.fenrir knew nothing! sif had sacrificed her liberty for this golden cage...

  
"there is a secret passageway behind the tapestry...it will lead you to the mountains .and...do not come back,for you will find no friend in me."  
"we can not know what will the future bring..."  
"fenrir!?"  
"until next time,sif!"  
................................................  
during his half day walk through the underground tunnel,fenrir called for his mother...if she has conjured his father to nifelheimr,what was the cause for this stalling...why was he being punished ...  
there were no doubts that she will practically kill him for his disobedience,as she has probably killed his father...he almost smiled to himself.his sense of humor was not something many appreciated,but that has proven them to have the lack of an enough reasoning to percieve it in the right manner .before he took the last turn and has found himslef outside this narrow hole ,which was almost a mile bellow the surrface...a portal of grey smoke , has cut through the dark...  
"home awaits..."  
...................................................  
as always the portal took him to the throne room,or as he liked to call it -the tortue room,although the true punishments were taking  place on the other side of the river...  
his mother walked out the darkness and slapped him.,..he wiped the blood from his lips ...the queen then embraced him ever so tightly ,almost breaking his bones...  
"do not do that ever again...running out like that.."  
"forive me..."  
-"i just did."  
if that was all the horror ,which have awaited for him,then he had to express gratitude to  the stars for smiling upon him.

  
"may i see jormungadr.how is he?"

  
hel averted her gaze..  
"you must know...many secrets have burdened the house of niflheimr...your brother,fandral,your real father...so much has happened after you have went to midgard."

  
"what are you talking about mother?"

  
when one of the child of lokis tell the tale of the truth...it is ,but the truth which they have chosen to be.and so was the truth hel told fenrir .not a truth at all.


	63. Of Mothers And Sons ...

was fenrir in favor of the norns?the stars? ha!? at the present time or within this very moment ,he would had laugh in the face of those who are to say that it is so. for it was not .not anymore.miraculously he would walk away from the considerable, the utmost plight in the blink of an eye,unharmed or with a fewer lesser wounds and or bruises...  
but when it came to those he considered dear to him,then all his attempts to call in for more of that golden dust of fortune ,would end without any more offerings...yes,the norns had forsaken him . until now,they gave him all he wanted,and until now, he indeed didn't realize how much he had...

the days of an unmindful boyhood were evermore gone...over a night he was transformed into a man . he had to ,for there was no an option of walking backwards through time...and if it was,after what he heard he could not take that path.those memories of when he had not a care in the world,but was led by his own daring heart and an optimistic mind, were yet a sweet sorrow...something to reflect upon.his mother told him many...and he was able to perceive and understand her strict and demanding behaviour.

his grandfather caused the death of the man he called father...fandral was no match for the one who fought without a honor.of the rest of the details that were involving his biological father ...he would not invoke them...could not ...  
it was very clear who was the victim in this narrative of the puppetry .his mother only sought love and he had taken an advantage of it .no wonder , that her hate laid upon men and asgard . she wore this burden alone...fenrir dug the nails into his fists... has she ,at least confessed this agony of hers to his deceased father?and ....his darling poor brother...jormungandr has found out first ..hel saved him before he took his own life...sadly, his traces were lost...he has lost even him...

the priest started talking and all the witnesses ,within this small hall have concurrently stood up. fenrir was on his feet the whole time.sitting was not an option ,when he was just mere seconds from fleeing from this ungodly sharade.his mother was secluded ...  
he knew that,in a way he always did...she would have buried herself under her obligations and all those predicted duties required within the boundaries of the realm.and those obligations have stolen the spark she once possessed...he remembered,how her eyes have shone and how wide her smile has been...and her hopes...,where were they now? her pitifuy hopes? obviously outside the borders of nifelheimr...as if they have become morbidly deformed ....yes, she desired more...that was conceivable.but what she was about to do right now, was not.

did she loved his non-father? at all? his hands were starting to shake every time, he was about to ask her of that...  
some themes should not be discussed at the present...especially not now,when she was at the altar with lord mror...what was provoking his rage more...sif s wedding or his mother s?  
it was not love,that was the least of the consolations ,upon which he was desperately holding on to .it was mostly for the an alliance of the lands...he would told him self this...repeatedly .by the time ,they were wed,fenrir was not near in sight.  
.............................................................................................

almost five days after loki saved his son from the clutches of hel....the rejoicing of both valera and lucien , when they saw each other once more ,was beyond words...the emotions have spoke instead .and loki felt ,he has done one...mended just one of his sordid wrongs...

 

 

 

"...where will you take your wife and son?"  
................................................................................................................

  
helblindi s cold breath was upon his neck.again..loki watched his small family ,while they were sitting next to the blue fire made of jotunheimr s seidr. although ,valera has been accounted all there is to be acknowledged about loki ,fenrir and hel...the long haired boy still wanted not to believe...that there was such an evil in the world.

  
"how can she be capable of something so nefarious? does she not see that the guiltiness is solely upon her?"-he eyed valera ,as if his weary mother had all the answers...

  
loki stayed aside,or outside their view...,mostly...he was absent for a shamefully long period ...unwillingly- true,yet , he has missed the most precious moments of lucien's growing up...he has lost the connection with his wife...and he hated himself for it..and he hated everyone else ,who he considered to be responsible for his ...their destitution...  
also,the were no limitations of the foulness of the harsh verity that was like a dark cloud above their heads ...  
the inevitable...  
the war ...  
all had their reasons for it...domination ,wealth ,revenge,love...or classical hate...it didn't matter...nidavelir,alfheimr and asgard were weakened...the time to strike has come..  
his jotun brother only spoke of this...he would not give him a rest...

"you must fought with us! for you are,indeed one of us...you owe jotunheimr as much!" -he would say.

"what of svartalfheimr and nifelheimr ? i do not wish to march with them... you,helblindi are conversant with the motives behind my determination. "

"they do not need to be aware that you are there,loki . use your seidr to conceal yourself ."

"it is matter of a principle...and so much more!"

"is it?if your intention is to decline a valid union ,the one based upon,even our own blood,then i must ask you to leave my kingdom ...but think of your family... where will you take you wife and son? for their safety is uncertain without our protection."

indeed, where will he take them...the war shall begin upon the next full moon...  
the blood ,as it is known, flows  more when the moon is a sun of the night.


	64. The Front...

the front...was asgard itself ....  
to prevail the army leaded by mror was impossible...the gatekeeper heimdall was killed in sight....as a consequence of the fact ,there was absolutely nothing that stood in between the dark elves and the sun city . thor was awake since before the dawn,prepared .this was his time...after his army floods the dark army of four realms , his victory and might shall be indisputable once and for all..his name shall be mentioned in all the books and his face upon every fresco , pillar and wall.

he called for his treasured mjolnir and she has flown into his hand . his slightly wrinkled face was unreadable ,yet his mind was worrisome ...sif was silently watching him,while  she was putting her own armor on. she was not silent only at the present.she was silent for a long time now.  
she has not told him...a child and war ,do not go in the same sentence ..yes,she was with child,but she also had a great respect for all his energy and sleepless night devoted to the planning...combining,re-writing the strategies upon the fields...so many an unforeseen events may occur...the more he prepared,the more of his self esteem would return... she has once more accepted him,for she comprehended him... they were,truly as equals...and this is the first time that the queen will march along with the king ....

norns forsake her,if she stays locked in the tower and spend her days knitting,waiting for the most dreadful tidings ...no! not sif!  
the majority of the asgardians were skilled and trained to give themselves whole in battles,and to fear of nothing.only then,the gates of valhalla shall be open to them,as a reward for bravery and hornor... they all gathered in front of the walls of the palace...many wives and children were left behind. sif was determant to avoid that fate .now they shall fight for them...all of them are asgard.and asgard is they ...that moto was within their blood.

those of alfheimr ,nidavellir, which were able,have joined them.despite how enfeebled their realms were,how many of their homes destroyed ,women and men killed or taken to hostage ,they had a debt to pay both to asgard and thor...he did allowed for a smaller part his men to aid them in defending their kingdoms...and this was a price...

  
the pale queen of both niflheimr and svartalfheim was beholding the scenery from the bifrost....the bridge of the thousands colours ...the floating palace,high on the horizon ...how long has it been...?and yet...it does seem like it was only few centuries ago...

those bitter sweet reminiscences were yet very much alive...  
she and her new husband had this civilised understanding,that no matter how many shall perish,the realm should stay intact .the beauty and the rich history would ,otherwise disappear into an oblivion . and that would be a horrible loss...  
they were not beasts...while the asgardians would have left not only corpses ,but also  ruins,great in number ,as their mark.  
she then opened the portal,and her own army appeared from the mark of nifelheimr...

......................................................

  

 

  
"this is a place somewhere in between the dreams and myths."-loki said...

valera and lucien have let their senses to absorb this new surroundings...purple and silver skies...green mountains,flowers painted in multiple colours...the colours that were not to be anywhere else in the nine...animals that were to be heard of only in the tales and legends...for this magical world of an untainted serenity was not a upon a branch of yggdrasil...  
after noting the point of their confusion ,paterfamilias,offered a somewhat resolvent an explanation...

"i have seen more than any other man before me.i have travelled further than anyone had ever dared...and i have found this place...on midgard it is considered to be the place of dreams...yet it is as vivid and real as any other realm.this is a place where you two shall be outside the reach of the enemies."  
lucien's face has fallen..

"fath...loki..."  
loki has barely smiled:"you may call me, as you like."

"then...if i may ..i would like to call you father."

valera has smiled softly to that ,and the flower that turned into a butterfly ,gracefully has flown in front of her,...quite symbolic...those two...they showed no emotions but ,this was the warmest moment that they have shared,since the day,when they have seen each other,after all those years...

"father...believe me,i appreciate the gesture...that you have brought us here,but..."

"but?"

" all i shall find here is shame...and only shame.for knowing that you,fenrir,frigga,and the others die,and fight for those innocent ,for their homelands... whilst i sit here,with my hands crossed in this world of an imagination...forgive,me but i ,for the first time shall protest against your wish,as a son to a father...i desire to join you. to confront the enemies with you."

"lucien!"-valera has loudly cried out.

the man ,whose appearance he wore,has slowly walked to the boy and placed his long pale hands upon his shoulders . those piercing greens had sank into his,as if he had  an ability to mesmerize him,and bind his will ono his own...that way , his little desire to prove himself to be a warrior would be as meaningless as the drop in the ocean.

"lucien...i would like nothing more than to spend more time with you...the both of you...for the time is something i can not restore...and to have you by my side , would be a honor...and joy....however, you make me proud ...the way you are.you have grown into a pure hearted,an intelligent young man.but...your mother ,lucien,needs you... you should stay with her."

lucien suspired ..it was forever to be like this...his mother was both his burden and blessing...  
valera who was behind loki, saw that disappointment...that sense of something slipping through your fingers...like a dust in the wind...

"loki"-she said..

"what if...i am to come with you?"

"do not be foolish , woman!"

"no,please,listen to me...the dark elves have slain my people...they killed my mother...and no matter, how much wrong she did to me...she is just that...a part of me.i would not change much of my past.i truly would not .i have raised our son,on my own...i have taught myself how to use a knife and sword...i am not a helpless maiden ,which you have married 20 centuries ago.and ...i do not wish for lucien to be tied up to me...he is old enough to find his own path.  
if the worst awaits us...then let it come. we will march into it... as a family..."

 

 

 


	65. For Asgard....

the two ,almost red suns and the azure moon gazed upon those small trivial creatures in yet,another of theirs an infinite quarrels...

in front of the large walls of the pristine city ,the asgardian soldiers have made a pass for the one who was announced as a messenger...the king and queen were present.to receive this ,nameless person was an obligation to their people,foremost. for who knew what the news would be brought?.... since lady sif,who was now ,one of the royals , originated from the commoners,the people...she was to be blamed or thanked for this an exception to the rule...her goal was to present their highnesses ,not as inhuman and distant ,but more alike to the others who are to live through this day or not.for to gain the liking of the mass was the true power...dominion.or was it more subjective...  
she succeeded in her persuasion ....by convincing hers untouchable and restrained husband, to come down from his guarded tower ,and amongst the mere warriors...for asgard lies on their backs....asgard is the result of many...not one...

the white creature....who has finally appeared...this messanger ... once when he has approached towards the luminous pair,they were greeted with the displaying of his sharp teeth ,in the act of a derisive leering ,.the contrasts of their armours ,both in light and the colors could not be more significant.

moror did not bow.and no one expected as much. if sights could have kill....thor would already ,be pouring himself the finest mead ,directly into the skull of his opponent...  
"you are quite versatile,lord mror..."

the light king added bitterly...

"now that you have taken the role of a messanger...what is next,a court jester?"

mrror was not amused in the slightest...his grey eyes had narrowed and lips thinned.

"tell me,king thor,why do you not declare a capitulation ?some lives,not many,but some might be spared .what is the purpose of your everlasting contrariness?you are a within your right mind,or i dare to hope so, and in thus condition ,where you have a clarity to see that you are outnumbered .besides...asgard needs to flourish,and under your wing it is fated to de-evolve .i may only imagine this to be the result of your ego which has not healed yet."

sif,whose eyes drifted to thor s twitching hand, has predicted rightly ...his sudden ,irrational reaction to the sarcasm , would bring only more victims, that the norns decided to sacrifice upon this very midday ,even before the time itself was created. unnoticeably she has taken his hand into hers...it did made him reconsider any rashness ...

" you are wasting your words and my time! if you wanted a war you will have it!"

"very well. upon the sound of a horn..."

the svartalheimrer turned on his heels and disappeared behind the sea of the heavily armed aesirs...  
..............................................................................................

the dark horns produced a sound smiliar to the one of a person being skinned alive would make ...and whilst the dark elevs did not even blinked to it...the asgardains felt the great uneasiness...the hand of death was upon them...every third men will leave his dreams and hopes right here,upon this hills...they soaked in the energy of the suns...between them were the doors to the afterlife...

"remember why we fight for ,men!"

all of them have directed their attention towards the blonde king.

"the norns have predicted the ragnarok,but i say nay! this is not the end...this is the beginning! a beginning where all shall kneel before the glory of asgard...and you,who fight today will find an immortality...for your names shall be celebrated in the epics ,until the end of time!"

even though ,thor has divided himself from the rest,what was spoken now,has brought the flames of valor into their hearts and a spark of light of this brighter future into their minds .  
"now...are you with me!?"

"aayyyyeeeee!"

"are you ready!?"

the men were cheering ...lifting their own spirits deliberately,...the fluid of many have united them in this honorable goal .

"for asgard! for honor! for king thor!"

thor has raised his hammer:" attack!"

 

                                                                  

 


	66. A Blade is Mightier Than The Hammer...

thor has rose into the air...he has yet called the thick grey cumulonimbuses to assist him and they  have responded with a muffled howls ... thor smiled as his gaze captured the first lightnings...his natural source of  the might.  
while he held his hammer and was gathering the electricity from the heavens.... the rain bellow him, started falling...a cold wrathful rain...that was complicating the increase of the temperature among the muspelheimr giants.which was their natural source of power...

sif was thor s right hand,on the grounds...she was leading the cavalry of asgard,alfheimr and nidavelir ,against the corpses of the niflheimr...they were the infantry,as the least important of casualties...meanwhile, the attacks of the flying ships have already begun...

thor possessed the crucial control over the potency and the wanted direction of the lightings... was sending the straight towards the svartalfheim vessels,which field from all the directions ,above him and were aiming for the towers...he hit one...and just the,the asgardian ships have arrived....that gave him time to dedicate his attention far bellow...  
the bright,veins of the sky have fried the jotuns and svartalfheim on the sight.....and while however,the muspelheim fire giants were not affected by this...their physical abilities have,unfortunately increased ...thus more rain was required ...

they were already producing fire balls and throwing them to the city...the jotuns were as,a counterpart,doing the same,but with the ice...hell was restrained,by norns themselves...who can she fate to his doom...the electromagnetic field of a person told her,if he or she is to die upon this day....those who were,she was allowed to dry from their life essence,other ,she could only wound....

comfortable in his wolf s skin ,fenrir was feasting upon an alfheimr.the liver were very satisfying ...besides the arrows that flew around him,no one dared to interrupt him...now,and then he would lifted his head and searched for anything he would had found disturbing enough...this time,there was a familiar voice ...a scream...  
in the corner of his large eye,he has spotted that sif was captured by those undead ones and was mercilessly pulled in the mess of their bones...something has made him to leave his prey ....when he reached the group of nifelheimrers ,they were about to make her one of their own....for those who were forbid to enter valhalla upon this day,would appear under hel s control...

" stop!"-the lycan roared and tossed few of his subjects from an unconscious queen....and they lowered their heads to their prince...

"i ll take her!".he said.  
...................................................................................

loki ,regardless of their recent dispute and the conditions in which  he has found lucien, he did had ,but only one matter upon his mind...ending all this mindless bloodshed...and his close ones...the instant ,when he knelt besides hel,all the past uncertainties... have multiplied ...how to led the combat of ones mind and a heart...it is the riddle ,for which ,even he,himself will never find a proper answer to .however,he had gained an advantage ...by the exploring the alternative future...his eventual self-to be , has gave him a clarified insights.loki is to fight his own fight ,under no ones command ,but his own...

the three of them were unseeable to the all others...with the exception of those with the stronger seidr,who might had sensed them,but for now, they were not a threat...lucien ,valera and loki  walked amongst the enraged crowd,silently ...and while the mother and the son ,were here for the new , more liberal and a democratic asgard,but not under the reign of terror under mror ...loki said nothing to them,anything that  would include hel...they have reached the front...they took their weapons out...the men around them were falling like rain drops...loki s spell shall keep them safe...for the time being..

but,hel is the one who must be found....her dark seidr is the key here. the sorcerer saw her all across the field ...field of muscles...bones... blood...swords...sweat and blades...her dark touch was quite fatal to those ,whom she has chosen...  
......................................................................................

  
yet another flying vessel was being followed by the pair of the bright blue eyes,while it was falling into the ocean...thor s smile of a possible soon victory, was wiped out ,by the heretical sight of this tall black beast ,who was carrying sif's body...fenrir was unable to produce any sound ,when the impact of the mighty hammer caught him off guard...a direct hit into the spine....if he was,at that time  in his other form,he would not be slowly lifting his wounded body and searching for the broken bones ,he would been dead.

a man ,who was yet an enemy ,in his eyes,both on the field and outside has landed few inches further.the hammer was lifted ,once more,high above the king s head...thor has already  envisioned the smashed skull on this monster...

when...  
the end of a blade has found an exit through the aesir's chest.....the stream of blood has created a trace from thor s mouth and downwards... fenrir acted impulsively ...he jumped on his back legs and used those claws for literally ,slicing the king s neck.

loki has pulled out the dagger from his brother's body... and made that his invisibility cloak perishes...

"the king is dead!"  
he yelled to the mass...  
"thor is dead!"  
now they started listening...

 

 


	67. A King And A Dragon...

"loki for the new king!"

the jotuns were trying to affect and influence the other races ...seldom , they were so clamorous.

"loki!loki!"

mror ,who was situated upon the hills, behind the armies ,could not listen a moment more of this treacherous clamor . he violently and hectically assaulted the privacy of the helblindi s tent.

"what is the meaning of this?! your men are mocking at svartalfheim ! at me ! and you  have not moved a finger to silence them!"

the large jotun was gruelingly serene... as ever...but the smaller men knew enough of the jotun race. jotunars were ,but a while ,deceitful specie. all this nonsense of elegance was only before one is to scratch deeper beneath the surface.  
helblindi adjusted his fur cloak...his movements were regal and relaxed .that twitching brow on the white haired elf was amusing him.

"loki killed thor.i saw it with my own two eyes .and if it was not him, then fenrir did finished him off .and the boy is, if you did not forget , my nephew. thus ,i stand behind the idea that either of them should take the throne."

mror roughly pulled out a stool and stood up it. now he was few inches higher than the blue creature.

"and if you did not forget...that very same boy is now my stepson .and thus...i should inherit the throne,before he does.and i...i have seen with my own pair of eyes,that he was the one to do it! not the damned sorcerer."

helblindi observed this ,whom she considered to be a dwarf and a monster, within...this is why he married young hel...  
"i do not agree."  
"what?! is this a mutiny?!"

"no,it is simply the friendly gesture,where i am to back out from this an alliance.and i am not alone in this.for i have spoken to the king of muspleheimr.the fire giants are an indolent ,slow and idle people.as you are probaly familiar with .they are tired of the war.they will gladly accept loki as the new ruler of the nine,if he offers them a decentralization ,where they may set their own laws for and within  their realm .odin has led a very absolutistic dominion ,but i know loki.he will agree to this."

"so..."-mror spoke through the teeth..."the conspiracy was planned a long time ago?"

"believe what you like.i only desire peace."  
"i do not!"

mror rushly took out a gem out of his pocket and placed upon the chest of his interlocutor.  
the stone glued itself upon the blue flesh...its magic was capable of only one thing...draining the life of its victim.

"a present from svartalfheimr and nifelheimr,you jotun scum!"  
.................................................................

"people of asgard,alfheimr and nidavelir!"

the second,the banished prince of asgard had to climb upon a ruins of the vessel so that he  may be seen and heard by thousands across the field ...

"murderer!"

the fair warriors of this glorious realm have shouted.he lifted his hands to silence them.

"i am loki of asgard!"

"of jotunheimr ! you're odin's bastard son,not his legitimate one...your jotuns have attacked us!!"

"perhaps!...but i am his son,and i am the first in the line to the throne,for thor had no heirs!"

"you have no right,after you have slain your own brother!"

"thor was a tyrant and bought this kingdom on the edge of its ruin .i will do anything within my power and right mind to restore the former glory ,but not under the rigid regime as it was .the gold will be spent equally among the people.the sick should receive the quality treatment and healing ,no matter of which class they are members of,those who have steal only to feed their families,do not deserve to end up in the cell..."

fenrir ,who had a desire to rip loki s head of...was listening from far away...the sound was perfect...the picture he had in his mind of this dreadful monstrum ,of his father was now perplexing ....was loki such a good liar...his words of this an utopian dream world were quite convincible .

"i say...give prince loki a chance!"

one man yells,raising his sword.

"ayyyyyeeee!"

many have joined him.

"i say...loki is a trickster and a liar...he he killed our king!"

"ayyeeeee!"

others did agreed upon that aver .

"but, thor did killed your uncle many centuries ago!and for what? because he refused to pay higher taxes."

this commotion would continue itself ..and loki's efforts to cease the hostility ended up being futile,for his voice was lost among thus many....what did an actual trick , was the sudden blackening of the sun...or ,to be more precise ,the covering of the sun ,by the svartalfheimrs ships... which were arriving in the large numbers ,so large that they have darkened the sky.....and they started firing at the mass...

loki has then invoked the first weapon ,he thought it would be of a help...the gungnir ...his father's spear that was stored within the tombs of the palace...he whispered something to it and it has shone with the green light ...then he aimed it towards the approaching vessels...a strong charge of the pure magic have reached the target...and the ships ...they have disappeared...

"what...where did they go?"-someone asked...

"i've sent them into nothingness"-loki responded dryly,and proceeded ...

"he has to be taken out..."-mror said from the safe distance,not even facing one of his men..."from the grounds ! do..it!"

the spy has bowed and left the tent ...  
the more the sky was being " cleaned out ",the more people turned to the unwanted mag of jotunheimr.  
demos have trusted in actions and gestures, as much as they did in an empty proclamations and promises...truth be told,loki,in this few hours of battle,has done more for them than thor within his 2000 years of rulership .

the spy , who was sneaking behind the sorcerer ,and it was certainly not something hard with all the noises and implicit forceful motions .loki would not even consider of looking behind his shoulders.the enemy was up ,in the front...  
the dark elf carried a bow and an arrow...this will be his easiest victim yet...  
however,he died before he even managed to stretch the bow ...namely he was stepped on by something inexplicable great ....  
a true monster.  
now loki had to turn around .  
it was jormungandr ...and in the distance,the vision of frigga on sleipnir.  
the former lake monster was given the limbs and the wings which were enabling him to move across the land and the air...and not to mention,to breathe fire...in which some of the elves that did not consider to retrieve , were caught into .

"is that a dragon?!"

jor stretched his long neck to the frightened man.

"i am.....but do not fear me.i will protect asgard from the dark levels...and all others that will present the threat... if you accept my father as your king."  
"your father?"  
"loki."

 


	68. Of Master(s ) And Servant(s )

loki did wore his non formal multi layered leather attire during this strongly formal discussion .the sight of him,upon the throne...and in that dark leather,was to the others who were present, mostly barbaric.a jotun,they would whispered...  
the red cloaks have filled the hall....all those intelectuals from the different fields...diplomats,priests,seider masters,accountants,etc etc...they all were a grey eminence and a column that held the asgard.one could not  put into their unproved heads that this manipulation had to end.  
but ,then the raven haired king would be no different than his predecessor .he had to endure them...yet their words were hard to follow,for the resemblance of this distinctive noises to the ones of the wild animals was astounding .and yet their faces were gravely serious...if it was not an agony,it would ,truly ,be a comedy,loki has smiled inwardly.

"we have agreed to allow you to take the function of the king,but under an  important conditions!"

one of the chancellors have said,no ...demanded. he held so many scrolls,it's a wonder that they did not fell...obviously a practice...the law about foreign policy,the  law about the taxes, the  law about the inner relations....norns ...loki has slided and fell deeper into the crimson velvet ....he had to feign that he is bothered by this trivialities.

"yes? and what conditions may that be? have i not proven myself....the svartalfheimrs have retrieved .they will surely attack again,yes,but not any time soon."

"yes,it is true...your highness,and we all so very grateful for what you did .and,we all hope,you will continue to protect our beautiful realm,however..."

"however..."-loki repeated mimicking this man s tone ..

"with all due respect...but your highness is not a pure blooded aesir.and the people of asgard want to see an asgardian upon the throne."

those long fingers were tapping upon the golden arm holder...

"well,i am waiting?what do you suggest counselor?!"

"an heir,an asgardian.born from the asgardian mother."

"i already have an heir!two sons, who fought for your slothful and cowardly behind!choose one of them.!"

the red cloaks were deeply,oh so very deeply disturbed by loki's ,how they did described it , a typically jotunar s reaction...  
the counselor did bowed slightly , but still eyed the imposter...

"such is the law my,king...the law from the time, even before king bor himself.a law which implies that a non asgardian king must marry an asgardian wife.and who would be better than lady sif? she is loved by the people,and..."

"what! my brother s widow!? get out before i rip your bestial tongue out!"

"it is for your own good,my lord...you need the support of the folk."

"get out!"  
.......................................................

if that was not the undermost pressure that was laid before him...he also had to confront  frigga...and look her in the eyes...it has been few days after the royal funeral...she did not spoke with him after that..or before.....when he did returned from the place beyond time,she gave him a hint of her future trepidations .. which have came to be and now were the events of the past...  
this part was ,sadly true...the evil fate of her firstborn...loki tapped his fingers upon that chair again...but ,it was absolutely irrelevant if she knew about thor's death for centuries ...she was his mother...and ,since he was the parent himself,he could relate. one shall never be prepared enough for that day...thor did gave him no choice...it was him or fenrir .. whom he has seen for the first time in the wolf shape . what kind of a black magic has turned his child into that?and jor...norns....  
he has summoned these three women ...his wife,his mother and lady sif...they all wore their mourning attire...even valera,who shivered before the fallen odinson.

"you may presume why i have called you."

the green eyed king seemed ,the way he felt...chained and tired.as if he and william were one...which he was to avoid at any cost.  
valera and sif,both lowered their heads,but frigga has lifted hers .her gaze spoke of nothing kindly...

"what have you decided?"-she was the only one to ask.

"for the sake of my children,and only for that reason alone,i am unwilling,but forced to take lady sif as my wife."

his stomach was turning as he was setting this new turn of the events .sif wanted to stay invisible,for loki may order her death any time.and it was not her death that would concern her...it was the one of her son s...it was no secret that she disliked the younger son of odin and conspired against him .  
valera ,still under a shock ,has stepped outside the line..

:"but...but what of our son and me?are you to deny us?!"

"no,this will be only temporarily...until we end the gory war,and i make an amends with my daughter and her son.besides, it will be only a formal wedding,for lady sif is already with child.and i do no doubt that she is eager for my company ,as much as i am for hers ".

all of them were in between a collision of an emotions ,but the queen made herself right to the stairs of the throne and spoke loudly enough:"if you wish to proceed with this travesty then,valera, sleipnir and i shall return to midgard.lucian ,of course may stay,for he loves you so ,but ,again i have not discussed the matter with him ..yet."

now loki,has lowered his head,and crossed the hands in front of him...even though william was shouting from within,that he must cease this repetition of the scene ...loki has dismissed the notion .he was very weariful ,but this should not last long...a long pause from him...which made the atmosphere and an air in the hall so very very thick..

."if you desire so,then go,i ll send the guards to keep you safe. report to me every day, by all means ."

the fair haired women started walking to that doors,but has frigga stopped once and addressed sif.

"may the norns help you,for this is your punishment."

........................................................................

.only the change is constant,they say,but in niflheimr this was relative .for things did not change...especially if we are referring to the verbal fight between mror and hel...they were standing alone against asgard now,betrayed and hated amongst the jotuns.hel was having second thoughts about assembling her army against asgard...  
and she has heard that jormungandr was well and alive...and ,unfortunately that he was rebelling against her . how could she go against her own child?mror would have none of this pitiful womanish behaviour...this time he did hit her...hard.  
fenrir,thanked the higher forces for his good hearing...when he heard that the screaming has ended and turned into a sounds of slamming ... he had to open the doors...his stepfather was pinning hel onto the table and was choking her...she threatened him with the gif of death,but since,he also possessed the darkness,the effect would not be as predictable as she had hoped .instead ,he had attacked her...  
fenrir has grabbed him and sent him all over the room .but the dark elf spoke something in his native tongue and the boy fell on the ground ...

"what are you doing to him!?stop this!"

hel had to literally crawl,so that she could to get to her son.

"this is a warning boy...i have caused his heart to stop...next time ,if he misbehaves ...or if you do...i'll make it to burst."  
her eyes were filled with dread and sorrow...and utter loathing .

"now, ill you gather your army,little wife?"

"yes."

"good."

 


	69. Was...

a black and silver sword with an open mouthed wolf carved on the holder . all he would need.  
as if she was reading his thoughts, and by knowing his young mother, she probably hashad  that skill.hel just had to enter at this precise moment . when he was about to do as his guts told him to do.

"oh,no...where are  you going fenrir?"

mother or mothers...were all of them alike...their mental abilities were a threat to the rebellious freedom of their children. did they not perceived this...  
"to asgard."  
"to asgard?"

"tell me,mother,what can destroy the darkness?"

this query was not something she would have expected from him,but the reply was yet so simple.even a child would know it..

"the light.but,do not frighten me...what are you planning to do?"

"i shant sit around and watch as that monster treats you like you are nothing.by the norns...you are unfortunate in love,as much as i am with fathers...thus,we do not need them."

her hand has covered his,both in mutual understanding and the dread of an abandonment...

"the curse is that you are so much like me. trust me...whatever it is you want to do..."

"...it will succeed!".

he grinned broadly ,as he did when he has done something worth of punishing .

"i have an idea how to get rid of those bastards of svartalfheimr once and for all."

then he looked behind him to, checking if the doors are ,indeed locked .fine,they were...the rest was whispering:" they were attacking the golden city only during the sunset or night or early dawn,yes?they hate the sun,and asgard has two of them...what if...we ,let s say , take one sun,or borrow it and send it as a gift to our allies?"  
the girl embraced him ,and forgot just how strong indeed she is...her son was madly erudite...and so was his agenda...it could go either way...and now she was hanging onto him ,which was a characteristic exposure of a mother s protective instinct...  
"oh, mother... please..."-he managed in separating himself and to avoid the certain suffocation.

"i can not do it alone,yet you have the mastery which is required...if we work together...perhaps...we may change the history.. .not to mention that we would get more space around here."

"i do not know the spell.. only have heard of the spell...the book in which it is described in , lies hidden within...the tombs. but...i can not permit you to endanger yourself once more , by walking into the enemy's territory...."

"worry not,dear sweet mother of mine".

he kissed her cheek,which he did last ,when he was but a boy...and that taste of possible freedom was so sweet it filled his nostrils and lungs...

"i shall bring the book!and i know that , that monster cares not where i reside or go...he will not seek me out."  
,.......................................................

 

he entered the palace the same way ,he escaped from it the last time.his beloved directed him to take this underground tunnel...the rest was fairly easy...he was covered with a hood ,like many other aesirs and no one even looked at him twice...he also knew of the catacombs...frigga once explained it  to hel,and now he followed his mothers instructions...in that small room.,in the pile of everything beyond ones dreams ,but concealed under the thick layers of dust...a centuries old dust .there was the wanted book...the book,norns themselves wrote,as the legend say.  
....................................................................

 

on his way out , a guard in the next corridor , shouted:"make way for the queen!"

sif!it was stronger than him...this insatiable urge to see her again...yes,he was informed of this marriage with his...with loki,but he refused to believe that there is anything besides politics behind it ...  
he let the pillar hid his form , as he peered ...the queen wore a long ,dark wine colored gown .sif would never wear a gown,unless...his eyes did not decieve him ...she was with child...few months,at most... perhaps...right about the time when she married the jotun.fenrir stuffed a fist into his mouth and was digging the fangs into it until it started bleeding....  
no!no! and no! if based upon this theory ,she was carrying his half brother! does that heretical warlock hold such a morbid desire to produce so many unfortunate children ?the rage and hate returned in flash ...  
sif walked slowly...this new weight upon her ,was a rather new sensation,however not an undesired one...she will give birth to thor s son...and that thought would bring the joy upon her and made her glow in an etheric sort of a way ...a mother...how odd.  
.and yet how comforting...loki ,despite their mutual aversion ,did acted like a proper sir .they shared the same chambers ,but not the rooms... to tell a lie ,that this is his son ,caused her to feel a discomfort...a repulsion...  
and it was also quite repulsing and hard to climb upon all this stairs and just to reach her room...ah!finally the last damned stair...her feet and legs were protesting-no,rest! rest!

"sif!"

her head turned slowly ,for she was still holding onto the fence...

"fenr...?"  
the speed in which he moved enbeled him to place a hand over her mouth,before anyone could heard the queen s shouts.

"sif...i...i..what have you done?!"

she pushed him roughly and leaned with her backs onto the wall..

"have i not told you to stay away?! away from this realm and me!you are an enemy!"

"and yet , you have married one!and who else than ...him."

"i had no choice!"

"oh ,i can see that!".

those large eyes of his ,have fallen upon her belly..

"i can not imagine ,that you have complained much."

a slap upon his left cheek , and then the other..

"how dare you!i do not need to explain anything .but ,do know this...even if it was you ,who was sitting up on the throne,i would not marry you.do you not understand this !?you are an  immature ,detached from the reality ,it seems... and still too young. i need a man ,not a boy!"

perchance it was the hormones,perchance her pitiless fate,...perchance ,the sight of this infatuated boy,who risks his own safety to see her...sadly,she did cared for fenrir,however,she knew that it  is the best ,for the both of them ,to end this now ...in a harsh manner.for he only understood the path of an aggression....and sternness...yes,he has yet to learn...

"mmmhmm mmmhmm..".  
he was shaking his head , while the sounds of his heart being broken almost echoed through the marble halls..

"and it seems,that i was right...all along...you would whore yourself for anyone with power!"

she was about to slap him once more,but he took a step back...and she ...she fell,before he was to catch her...she fell down the stairs...

 

 

  
...............................................................................

  
after that ,all was in the fog...the young lokison cried so much of fear for the one who refused him,that he was bewildered how he ended up , curled up upon lucien's silken bed.the son of valera was a witness to the incident...he had to aid him...he had to...he has rushed to take fenrir into this small place of safety...  
if he did not did it ,the guards would ...he could not let  his half-brother,no matter how untactful he sometimes may have been ,in the mercy of those savages .

"being so generous to all , will get you killed".

many have said...perhaps that would prove itself to be the truth...

"stay here and try to calm down,fenrir...here , take some tea...i ll see how sif is doing .just do not leave the room."

as if he could...  
hours later the door knob turned,and fenrir jumped from the bed,but he almost fell down... he was on the edge of his nerves.....the long haired young man was being torn after seeing the other man like this ..

"she ..is fine...she will live."

fenrir breathed out a deep breath and rubbed his eyes...

"oh,those...those are good news then..."

however,the tears had appeared again:!it was all my fault."

"no,no it was not .it was an accident."

"no, i am to blame...i was selfish and...when i saw her... with loki s child...i just...i lost my control...i had imagined them ...together,and it it has just enraged me so..."

"fenrir...the child was not loki's...it was yours..."

"mmm,what?,mine...mine?!"

the blood...as i have recognized yours to be similar to mine ...i have sensed the child s..."

"the child is mine..."-fenrir repeated over and over again ,his eyes were wide and he was swinging around the room...he was in some sort of a trance and lucien has began to seriously fear for the health of his brothers mind.

"no,you did not heard properly ,brother...the child...he was your son...was..."

"was?"

"was..."


	70. The Gift Of The Sun...

"i...i have to see her.."

lucien has knelt down ,so that he might look directly into fenrir s eyes . they were redden and nebulous ....his brother was destroyed...positioned slouchy on the floor,with his back on the wall... pouring all the liquor he could have find in himself...the capacity of the alcohol his body was able to take , was not just undignified but beyond that,unnatural.

"i am sorry,but that would not be a wise choice.she is still in a poor condition and few guards are standing in front of the healing room.you would not make it . not unnoticed,at least . besides, it is best that you calm down a bit...i ll talk with her tommorrow."  
lucien had more than enough compassion for fenrir...he has felt on his own skin ,how it is to watch the one you love ...to watch her suffer.but sif was still alive,and the redhead girl was not.

"she...she doesnt know...does she. ? you did not tell her,did you?"

"no.it is not up to me to do so."

fenrir said nothing,but rather had taken an another gulp.

"i think you have had enough...please leave that aside."

 

"no!you leave me!"

he was eyeing lucien widely and wildly .he was about to return to his sorrow ,but there was this short,sharp moment of this new realisation within him...

"you are not lying are you?you have no need to be this brotherly kind to me. unless you have decided to inform the others of me being in here!"

"do not be absurd !if i wanted to let the guards to murder you on the spot , i would not bother myself with dragging you here .my only desire was to help you.you did save me from the fire,remember...? this is my way to repay you."

"hmmmmmmmm..."

"you say,you mean no harm...then ,tell me,lucien ,where.is.the.book?"

"the book?"

"you know very well what i am talking about-the grimoire,which i had with me yesterday."

"it is kept somewhere safe .i am sorry ,but i can not allow you to take something so hazardous.that book has the ability to erase the time,moon and stars...i am fully aware that you are doing this for hel,and i have the safety of the innocent people on my mind."

fenrir has roughly then risen on his feet . he was much taller ,and lucien could sense that he was about to shift...

"i am also thoughtful when it comes to innocent people.and that is why i want the book. and i want it now !"

"you are drunk,and i need you to calm down...please...!"

the bottle ,which fenrir was holding tightly , was now deliberately smashed onto the locker,and he used the sharp ends to threat his sibling,by placing it in front of ones  large green  eyes....

"i ll take one of the suns and send it to svartalfheimr.this way,there will be no more wars.now,tell me where is it."

lucien ,was staring at him...his intention was this- by distracting this person , who was not a human any more,but something in between,he will find something heavy enough to put him unconscious.

"it is under the bed."

the half wolf did not even thought of it to be the lie,he threw himself on the floor instantly... with a loud thud,that followed ...the long haired elf, quickly has got taken  the shield which was in the corner on the left.and lifted it highly .if he hits the other one,perhaps it should work...it did not...now ,when shifted completely ,fenrir was listening to his instincts...and they have told him that there is danger ahead,...he lifted the whole bed with him and tossed it to lucien.however,one of lucien's skills was to climb vertically on the walls,and thus ,he did eluded the heavy piece of furniture .he was now watching the other from the upside down position .the wolf followed his own scent...and by this he has revealed that the book has to be behind the locker.

"no!"

lucien yelled,as he found himself upon his brother s back again...he has bitten the wolf s vein with the highest intensity ...the wolf was tossing and turning in the tries to get free of this leech...in this disastrous confusion and combination of physical power,adrenaline and rage , where neither side   wanted not to let go...they ended up on the balcony...and then...they have fallen over it ...from the highest tower ,where the royal family was...and far,far bellow,where the watery grave awaited...  
the sounds of something flapping have reached their ears...jormungandr sought the way to catch them both...but alas...his large hand reached  only to the  one of them...for the other,it was too late... ...

..................................................................................................

 

the funeral of one of the lokisons was suitable for the king . that is how loki ordered it to be .the body of the young man was,but decently covered with the grey velevet ....obviously why so. the asgadian noblemen have risen against this ...for fenrir was a traitor...his head should be impaled on a spear,as a warning to those who would dare to go against the realm.loki has closed their mouth once and for good.one chancelor who was the first to come directly to him with his observatopns points ...loki s dagger has found its way right into his forehead .after that all started to fear him again.and ironically in the times, when he was vulnerable ....

he was watching his son s body being pushed into the sea  and burned ,and only  from his window...his heart would have burst if he was to be down there,among the many...to see his son dead...and to hear that sif has lost his grandson...he sat on his bed and begun to drag that dagger over his skin...the sensation of pain was almost delivering ...he should feel pain...he should...he has let his children down...he has let fenrir down...his grandson...all of them...

jormungandr...could not hide his loss...for,he could not hide at all.....all were to be the spectators of his grieving...he would fly for hours and hours and produce horrifying sounds ,which brought the chills into the bones of those who have heard them...then he returned towards the palace...one sun was about to set...it was a symbolic of a farewell...and that spectacular sight has invoked him closer....

  
while he stared at this sun  ,the one which was slowly slipping under the horizon , this regretful revelation has hit him...he was alone...he would never be able to be as others...even now,when he craved for comfort, no one even said any kind of a kind word to him...and the embrace...what would he do for one simple,yet powerful embrace...he would even kill...he has lost his brother ,one of the truly rare ones who did appreciated him...and his father, in his own distress has forgotten about him...if there was a future for him,it would be as this...unchangeable solitude. then he,turned in the air and went to the castle .he was holding onto the stone blocks of the tower and was climbing ,until he spotted loki's balcony...

" fatherrrr..." he called.

his strong voice has awoken loki from his daymare ...his soul was detached from his body,for to stay within ,would be only to much to bear...he was unable to move,but his thoughts were not silencing...in fact,they were cursing his whole existence...

"please...i need to talk to you..."

loki stood up,but it still felt unrealistic to gain back his senses ...and those cuts were burning ..  
when he finally exposed his miserable self ,jor almost felt an envy that he did not had that luxury .

"um,what is it?"

"i ..i wanted to say farewell,and to thank you for ...everything.for not denying me."

"what are you talking about,where will you go?"

"i will honor my brothers last wish ...stay well ,father..."

after that ,the monster,as they called him, took off to the heavens and straight towards the sun..in the centuries of his loneliness his only company were the books,and jor was self taught with the similar spell, to the one required for defeating the realm of the dark elves...but this one also requested for a sacrifice to be made. the dragon spoke words,which he had remembered and when he closed the distance between himself and the sun ,the one which was still up .that very sun has  separated itself from the sky and was left to hang in the middle of an air ,like a bright yellow fiery ball .

now he could touch it and carry it....seconds later,the realm of svartalfheirm has seen the sun,for the first time, since the dawn of the  universe ...it s rays were turning the natives  into the ashes....the vast army was erased  ,as if it never existed...those who have survived ,but shall perish soon,for they are trapped underground ,were mostly women and children...  
jormungandr was not there to behold at this...this pyrrhic victory of asgard....the heat of this luminous star has taken him as its first victim.

 

 


	71. The Revenge...

hel was tearing her dress apart , and scratching herself, leaving deep red marks all over her thin pale body...her tears were entirely dry at this stage and ...since no sadness would came out of her,she was subconsciously making holes for it to leave her ... through her flesh...

jormungandr s soul was here,yet only briefly,before it went to valhalla...fenrir , however was condemned to an era of an abandonment...for his mind was ill and as a result of something he did found to be an important matter-an interaction with others...his connections with his mother were only one of the causes ,which led to his tragic ending...this punishment was something not,even her,who reigns in this land ,had the ability to alter or lessen ...she will never see him again...and that was the breaking point for hel.the asgardians have killed him,and the svartalheimrers took away jormungandr....

now she had no one...no one to love,no one to care for,no one for whom to be....she was left only with this pain which has evolved into a rage of an endless proportions...  
almost all of the svartalfheimers were under her commands now...they all waited for that scroll to be read.for their names to he spoken out...,for their fates to be sealed .but they will wait...oh,yes they will...their number was alluded to merely one conclusion. both hel and mror grasped this new set of circumstances rather quickly..he has lost almost all of his country men...he had no one to lead battles for,no one to greet him when he returns...no one to share the common language with...no one... the realm of svartalheimr was going trough the last pages of its subsistence. this was truly the end...just imagine, how it would be to hear one day ,that all you traditions,history,culture,all the trademarks of your land ,were no more...and soon to be forsaken...

he ,who has grown as a warrior and in the strict an environment...he who was forbidden to expose his vulnerabilities... now ,was defenseless...pitiful...useless....he knew what will follow,when he heard the sound approaching of hel s boots...he had no more power over her...nor he desired it...anymore.  
she has found him in one of the hallways, holding a sword to his stomach .he was prepared to take that revenge away from her . she did said nothing,but acted swiftly...the axe ,she brought with her...was strong enough, not only to split his skull,but to go all the way down to his torso.....she pulled it out,and then has stricken him again ..and again...perchance a hundred times...more...who knew...for when ,she stopped hitting the elf,there was nothing more to look at besides the mash of meat and bones...

\--------------------------------------------------------------

the aesir folk were debating...as they usually did.was the dragon a hero,or has he damaged their kingdom by taking one of the sources of life. the suns helped the plants to grow...and now their harvests shall suffer... be poorer than before...the nights will be longer,and the temperature has decreased for ten degrees,..many did not had warm clothes...but the swift and calculated merchants were already bringing and trading the clothes and food from other realms like alfheimer,midgard and nidavellir...of course the prices for this goods were not low . the stealings within the land had begun...friends turning against each other...

"now we are dependent upon lower lands."-some would shout in agony.

others found this synergetic balance to be a positive side effect...

"we are all the part of yggdrasil,we must work together. accept the differences ,for we all are alike !"

asgard was not accustomed to this new system, where people spoke their minds freely and were deciding for themselves...asgard has never meet the democracy before...and was unaware what to do with it.  
................................................................

this night was pretty brisk and pure ...and the autumn has arrived...autumn...and the asgardians knew only of the summer and warm soothing breeze...but,no ,the spirit of the dim wind carried the fallen leafage over the gardens...and the moon was casting its gentle light upon them...a peaceful,and mournful sight,at the same time......lucien have thought...he was taking a night walk on the large mutual terrace above the artificial labyrinths ,made solely for the entertainment of the courtiers...this landscape designing was something an alfheimrer would take as an insult of the highest rank.one has to bow to the nature ,not treat it as its servant.  
he has tilted on the thick stone fence ,deep within his thoughts ..when there was a silent ,yet shady sound of steps ...all there was, were the shadows...and then...two bright green eyes in the darkness..

"hel?"

she has stepped onto the fragile light.the large blade in her hands was reflecting the moonlight .lucien nodded...a son for a son ...blood for a blood...he was no match for her,could not outrun her or fight with someone of such a strength...

"has my time arrived... already ?"

she gestured as if the answer was a positive one .  
there was no remorse ,no nothing,just a cold ,heartless stare.  
he looked at the gardens again...this will be the last thing he sees...

......................................................................................................................

one candle burned in loki s bedroom...his thoughts were only one with this last piece of the paper...he was not contemplating about the disgruntled crowd outside this thick walls... no rebellion would have frighten him....in this late hour ,this was all that was of an interest to him...the memoirs of william...the ones which loki has burned ,but this page ,for some reason he preserved ...

william has said:"i was there and then,somewhere where is no there and then,and i have realized just how,indeed , meaningless we all are ...we are important only to ourselves...but we are all obliged to vanish....our deeds,however do stay......they are casting away ,even those images, which, we do not deem to be relevant ...if we do not forgive,but never forget,our paths shall be harder and longer....paths,are here only as a euphemism for something else...i am still contradicting myself,should i be more frank abou this ,or not...  
nevertheless...we must stop striving ...for it shall always be outside our reach...should we be satisfied with the smaller alternatives,copies..or should we open the new doors..."

the rest was unreadable...the ink was smudged...this page had been read ,when it rained,,,  
his handwriting suggested that this was written by a terrible pessimist,but also a creative person who was suppressing his talents...but above all, a responsible and dedicated an individual...it was so womanly,in the comparison to loki's strong and sharp handwriting...but,william was also right...he knew loki better than anyone...and in front of this man,loki could not hide...  
the paper was placed down ...

"you are here."-he concluded without even turning ...the bond between him and his daughter was never broken,and the energetic field around his heart would tenderly burn if she was near.and ... she was...

"i have taken your darling son . as you have taken my sons...directly or indirectly ..."

"you have killed him..."

"i am sorry..i ...i truly am..."

they were still not looking at each other.not even moving.she was only standing behind him,and waiting for something...

"you do know what i forced to do now , hel?"

"i know,that is why i have prepared .do what you must do, then ..."

loki has crumpled that paper and squeezed it tightly ...he was mad...yes...mad mad mad...the word itself could not even point out how much...he has lost all his children in this few agonising days...and now...his only remaining one ,desired a demise from his hands...his seidr could bring the death upon death...  
deep within him ,there was a voice of a reason...he has heard william speaking something...

"what!what is your righteous celestial  plan  !? speak!"

the king has truly fallen...now he expected a fast ,prudent an counsel from a non existing mortal.

"listen to your heart...you knew how this was going to end...you knew...so now, end this."

 

 


	72. Lose You In Time...

she closed her eyes slowly...so slowly...his left hand was around her waist...he was holding her firmly ...as if she would run away...her breathing was getting more rapid ...her father was mentally releasing the darkness that made her what she was...this conjuration was only performed in a way, that the one ,who was casting it ,was the single person acknowledged with the secret words...and indeed, only loki knew them...once when it gets out of her being ,she could die...the results were not known...

this was not tried before,for to set the death free ,would be sufficiently risky and perilous ...until,now it was bounded within the body of a girl and it has been under a serious restrictions...without them... the girl with the nocturnal hair could not die ,while she was one with the spirit of one s last hours...she has carried this harm ,which has determined hers ,ironically to say, life,and her as a grotesque caricature .....and ,now in his arms,and from his hands ,she will be given a so yearned for eventuality, to discern not only visually ,but with all her senses , what it is above or after ...beyond hers own kingdom......it was more than she deserves...it was not nifelheim,nor it was valhalla,this place that shall accept her tainted soul ...it was something else...something ardent,cordial and inner......

the grey smoke was leaving from her stomach....this was it....a small smile was adorning her face...she was so easy...like a feather...and she was imagining herself to be high among the clouds,flying to the stars ... loki has started shaking and her eyes snapped wide open to the sight of the smoke entering him...  
"no!you mustn't..!"  
"did you honestly believe that you would ...that i would ,or could have kill you...hel...despite all...i love you...."

when the transaction was completed ...loki's own seidr, rebelled against this unwelcome dark entity ,what resulted with the robust collision of the two naturally contrasted forces ...one was of dark and night ...while the other was the day and light ...loki's mouth were wide open...if he was screaming...the sounds were lost somewhere or anywhere ....the white light and the black smoke formed a rotating sphere ...the shapes of her father were barely visible through the variable layers ...it was speeding up...until... the blast ...the luminous colorful particles was all that was left behind...they have filled the room like a small stars ...and after falling to the floor they have disappeared...and so has he...  
this was his legacy to her...he has taken his own life and spared hers..

hel has searched for any evidence of his steps or presence...her hands were sliding over the darkened parquet...there was nothing else apart from that black smear ...her left hand stoped as she felt a spasm... the wrapping of the veins,meat and ,lastly white porcelain skin around it,concluded the tragedy of the loki...hel was now normal....he has given her another chance...she was truly free...in her solitude.  
hel has lied upon that very burned spot...the sensation of the remaining seidr has opened her emotions ...a teardrop...the another...and another...non moving ,non perceiving her surroundings,she has submitted herself to the nostalgia ...she has traced her thoughts back to the day when she has first opened her eyes and saw her mother ...until this very last one when their eyes met ...and she has lost her father...

she was re-experiencing all she had  felt before .. every single tear,every single smile...laughter...tremble...excitement... she was burdened with the horrifying urge to weep ,to mourn,but all she was able to do is to lay there...now all she was ,what she always were...a shadow...for she saw no one and heard no one,yet the time itself was passing by her...until one day,she was humming a lullaby which she had sang to her sons... her sight was attached to the ceiling...and then her jades have narrowed...why were the walls so yellow...and the rust....and the doors...where were the doors...after the obscure period spent on the ground she has lifted her fragile figure and stepped to the window...  
and while that one meager sun was a well known sight,the world outside was the one described in the prophecy...the empty tower which was still relatively whole ,was the one in which she was in.the rest of the walls have found their terminal placement in the sea ..the land was dead...as if all the birds,animals...men have extinct ...norns...what has transpired...

 

 

 

 

 

................................................................  
she has rushed down the numerous stairways ,even jumping over few at the same time... nevertheless,it did took her about fifteen minutes to get to the terrace where lucien s body was ,only yesterday ...but it was not yesterday ...it was...accordingly to the position of the sun...centuries ago...she was caught outside the line of time...and,thus the phases and cycles around her would nor reach or alter her in any manner.... ,indeed she was like a ghost...this is how her subjects must have felt...  
............................................................................

she has missed plenty... the offensive upon the palace, and ...on the same day when the word of loki's death has been spread out ...the democracy has seemingly won...the pauper asgardians have stolen all the gold,furnitures,fabrics,jewellery,all they could have find...during their mindless demolition, they have murdered the guards,the nobleman ,including lady sif...after ...when the utter desolation was all ,what has left of this once mighty realm, many have migrated...  
muspelheimr however has chosen ,her kingdom of niflheimr ,as a very convenient field for their own expansion...now the land of the dead was unrecognizable...the resemblances to the windy ,still area were no more...the degrees have ,of course raised...the fire has spread...and those who have stayed there,her people,now had to endure this horror ,which the new masters have forced upon them ...now this was called after her,hell...as a mockery...or a honor...depends on whom you would have asked...

on midgard...valera almost lost her mind,after she was informed of lucien's and loki's fate... the both of women,her and frigga were on the edge to drinking one of the herbal poisons,when skuld entered the gates of their small cottage...

"you have suffered enough...now it is a time to forget..."

and so it was..after those words,all the memories were erased from their minds and replaced by the new ones...now,as common mortal humans ,they have lived in believing that they are mother and daughter...  
valera has married a blacksmith .she did not had any children,but he has had two small girls...taking care of them was more enough for the former elf maiden ...frigga has helped as much as she could...and that did brought them some joy...and serenity...sometimes they would be upset for no reasons ...at least not any they would have recognize... ,for the heart does not forget...but all in all...they lived a peaceful lives...  
sleipnir ,a quiet creature as he was,watched them from the near by,every day ...until the two of them did both died...then he was given a passage way to alfheimr,where many magical creatures have found a sanctuary...

...................................................................................................  
the white light has appeared in front of hel,blinding her for a moment...

a young girl with the wavy silver hair has softly smiled at pitiful one ...

"blessed be hel...my name is verdandi..one of the norns...you have called for us..."  
the undead young woman had no choice ,but to believe to this person s word ...aside from the girl's appearance...which was not something she would have expected from the norns ...instincts told her that now she must listen ....however,she needed to say something ,anything ,but her mouths were not responding ...they would not open...she has forgotten how to speak...  
verdandi smiled again...she had that charisma of an infinite wisdom...which made hel clam down a bit ...

"you are neither alive,nor you are dead...i have watched you for centuries as you lied in that tower ...once or twice i have hoped that you would see the cage you are in .but since you would not,it is my place to step in and grant you a relief  ...and an absolution."

"mm...hhh...me...!?!

"you do not need to speak...i understand...your father has gave you a decision to make ...you have one more chance to be with those you love.if you are willing to see them...take my hand..."  
hel was doubting this....and refused to do so...

"hel you father has met skuld...she directs the events of the present...the past is assigned to urdr ..she is the oldest one of us...and i possess the future...and i do see your future..."  
"m..my future...but...i...i dont have it..."

"oh,you foolish creature...yes, you do...now,please ,let us join our hands,and i will show you..."  
hel has bitten her lower lip and has let their hands to meet...  
verdandi has laughed childishly and all went black...


	73. Catching Lost Time ....

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> well guys,this mostly it...i wanna thank you so much for sticking by...,for those who didnt get my stupid jokes,i am sorry...really really sorry...luv u all...  
> ok,i will edit this but tomorrow,i am so tired...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok so this is 500 yrs in the future...guess who is who...in the nordic tragedy was the same thing,but different reality

 

 

 

ticking clocks...tick-tock...tick..tock...  
what a dreadful sound it was...the only sound in the room...a fairly an eclectic decorated room...with the antique and vintage,victorian furniture and all the latest technology gadgets...which would include that massive tv screen.now , no one even thought of turning it on...no,not now.  
william thompson was lying on his bed...his death bed...how much longer? a week? a day? an hour? minutes,perhaps...who knew...but he had no regrets...he had a good life,when we count all the pros and cons...or maybe there were few regrets...

he was almost eighty yrs old...and did had few heart seizures before ..but ,this last one....has really  cut him down...  
at ,the moment he couldn't do much,but he surely could escape from that darn ticking... and into the place ,which was somewhere between the conscious and unconscious...he held his hopes that he would sleep, dream...but he ended up in the Rem phase...he was partially lucid and was still able to hear to that bloody clock . ...counting down his final breaths...his family was already mourning and weeping in the next room..perhaps that 19 th century piece of wood had a much more  merciful melody then..  
his family...his greatest achievement... ...as he was falling deeper in the rest,he even had to pull the cynicism out of his sleeve ...his " eternal rest" ...his memories ,or dreams took him to his early days....was this the syndrome of "life passing before his eyes"?

  
.......................................................................

  
the first scene, which he saw ,was the one,which he has not once forgotten,not even once ...when he was just a large eyed,pale schoolboy ,and was on the field with his cousin jack and jack s,not his,but jack s friends...they were playing football...any of his tries and queries ,about him participating in the game ,would merely resulted with pointing fingers and throwing sassy jokes at his expense...he would sat down,somewhere nearby,and just watch them disinterestedly ...he was strongly objecting to expose how,indeed  deeply he was  hurt .  
one day.. the ball did stop at his feet ..even though,the others hurried him to threw the damn thing to jack,little will,gathered all his strength and lead it,across the field ,gracefully dodging some of the guys ...and achieved a rarely seen goal.a masterfully done goal...  
after that,he was well accepted within their company...he used his inner energy to lead and direct the course of the round object...how did he learn to do that...where did he learn to do that...he knew not...but that day was a relevant indicator that , even he is capable of achieving greater things...and he was from that moment ,onward dedicated to follow his inner voice ,which he later called intuition ,and to obey it...

  
..............................................................................................

 

 

 

  
william s primary desire was to be a professor at the uni,but he has graduated as a lawyer ...jack would tease him immensely ...

  
"oh, it suits you..you say one thing,willy boy,do the next and think of the third...you have chosen well..to lie and to be paid for it.nice,nice..."

to proclaim william ,to be liar was a false statement,for he rarely lied ..he would rather stay silent.but other percieving him in a wrong light.the wheel of fortune has turned...who was up,now was down...and sadly for jack,whose ambitions were to be a professional footballer...he was always so stubborn and was always rushing...even through the red light...an accident ,and a bump to the head had the last word...it took him some time to start walking again...he has spent a year in the bed and was drowning in self pity...not to mention ,that he was obligated to wear the glasses..

  
the later circumstances were quite favorable for william.when the time was right,he has opened his own firm and took jack ,as an assistant . it was mostly working...when they would find a middle path...until jack s inferior role became to hard on his ego,and he returned to australia.  
the pressure and and stress ,which were a constant non-friends in this profession , have made the dark haired lawyer to seek out the help in the therapy...petula was one of the best in that area,and their relationship soon developed into a sincere friendship ....  
his oldest son, dorian,who was a classical cliche of a teenage misfit , was succesive to meet her acquaintance .he was quiet,a born pessimist,an artist interested in surrealism,macabre and photography...his antisocial and gloomy moods persuaded william to schedule an apointment with petula...her words have, reassured him ...

  
"he is quiet by nature.it will pass..did you know that he has a girlfriend?"  
"no..."

  
of course he didnt...william didn't know many things about his sons...and the more he thought about it,the more he realized it...and the more he realized it,the more ashamed he was . how much energy and time was wasted and irretrievably thrown in the wind.and in the name of his career ... he has vowed to himself that he should gather them all.at least few times a year....thus he has invited the resz fo the family members  to join him in their cottage on the countryside.

  
the twins,which he got with his younger wife,lydia ,were soon to be 7 yrs old and he took the liberty of making this event as an excuse to plan this whole reunion. once when the house started filling with the familiar faces,it was clear just how much they have been missed..and as the unwritten rule of large gatherings would say...they are to be chaotic.this one must have been the one from the manual,then.the kids,of course were demanding from the start.the younger,peter would miss his games ...the ones were everyone kills everyone...the older philip was to calm or agoraphobic to go anywhere,he was preferably staying near his brother or mother.but dorian,a 15 yrs old and his mother,christine were specially attached to this forest and the nature...

  
christine remarried to a plastic surgeon,eric,who already had two girls...also, has jack arrived with his wife...rebecka was his high school sweetheart,but he went through a lot of trouble to get her to accept his invitation for a coffee.she was very cold in expressing her emotions,but very hot in saying what was on her mind.william had to suppress back his urge to laugh.jack a henpecked guy..., they still didn't had any children.  
she ,however liked to play with the kids of the other two couples...peter was strongly attached to her and following her everywhere...sometimes he could be very annoying...dorian,on the other hand,for some reason disliked lydia...despite how many similarities they both had,from music to the art taste,he just counteredher in everything or ignored her..

  
"congrats ,dad...so you have left mom,for a girl that's almost my age!"-he would say...

william has met her ,when he was waiting for dorian. it was 2 am outside this rock club...it was some concert,and while he waited,this girl,a student came from the dark..  
.he didn't even saw her until then... she asked if he has a cigarette ..they have talked and she has reminiscended how her mother died when she was still too a small,how her dad used to hit her,and how she wanted to split his skull for that.  
her story has touched his heart and he did something,a rational man ,a practitioner of the law , a person of his age and reputation would not consider of doing ever.he has given her his phone number.

  
"call me anytime,if you need someone to talk to.."

  
it started ,as it always starts...so innocently,and now they were married ...  
jack was already at the table,expecting to be served,like a king...

  
"hey christine...are those your mother's lasagna!mmmm ,send my compliments to the chef...she makes the best damn lasagna in the world..."

  
christine's mother,ema,was married to christine's father who was working with the shares...for years things were doing  just fine,and then he has lost it all...and she was forced to find a job.a former model,as ema was,she was quite an unaccustomed to actually do anything...after years of loans,and borrowing she had to accept the physical jobs,which were beneath her dignity. as an assitant  cook...christine has learned on her example and did not follow her steps...to pursue a modeling career...no,she was drawn to humanistics studies....

  
"aunty becka...!"-peter was pulling her t-shirt again ..."wanna see my score in dungeons and dragons?"

  
rebecka  rolled her eyes ,what made everyone to smile...it seems,that only she didn't find it to be at least amusing..

  
"fine,sure..lead the way,little soldier..."

  
"and you ,my big man,dont you want to play with your brother and aunty becky?"-william was messing with the  straight raven black locks of his introverted son...philip loved his hair,as if it was something miraculous...and he absolutely hated when someone was touching it.his dad was to busy to remember that.  
"no,i don't like that game...i'll gonna watch game of thrones instead".

oh,yes..he was crazy about the dragons...even now he had that fluffy one he called yo-yo.  
"lydia.."-he called out...  
she was just opening the wine ..

  
"why is philip watching game of thrones...that is too violent and obscene for a 7 yrs old."

  
"oh,shit...i ll go get him...you should call dorian.the launch is done...and jack will eat all ,if he doesn't hurry back...so tell him to get in here."  
"where is dorian,anyway?"  
christine was serving the plates...  
"he is in the woods...taking pictures...you know your son,will..."

.......................................................................................  
the one reason why dorian eventually went clubbing ,was rose..  
she was,what you may call,a normal girl...sweet,gentle...likes to take long walks,likes animals, has this insane interest in flowers...

  
"if i am to connect your freckles they would form the constellations...".-he was teasing her.

  
she was shy,and he was shy...but despite the shallow contrast upon the surface,the looks by which he was mostly judegd, they were have found happiness together.she was a social butterfly and was open minded to all kinds of people and music...and yes she was the one who was dragging him around..

  
"oh,lets go to that cafe..oh,i know where they have a great ice cream..."

  
dorian would pouted, but did let her have her own way..she was talking,he was observing...as if she was trying to evade the going back to her home...  
unfortunately his rose had few phobias...,phobias of the closed places,of fire and the aggressive people...  
such as her dad was...which made dorian so overly protective and possessive when it came to her and her well being...

  
the branches on the trees were enchantedly moving to the song of the fresh spring wind.  
until now ,he was texting rose about his whereabouts and the beauty of this green around him...rose didn't like the woods...as much as he didnt like the crowds...  
ah, this peace,too bad she was not here with him.he ,on the other hand,was absolutely loathing this artificial kindness and smiles ...it was utterly ridiculous.his parents were pretending to be best friends... a travesty,that is what this was.and lydia and eric...oh,shit,he just could not stand them.the kids were ok,but sometimes too tiresome.

  
something was moving behind the third line of the trees..he has stopped texting and placed his phone on the camera...what was it?a rabbit?a dwarf,lol?he would not mind seeing a small bearded fellow with a pointy red hat.  
oh,a horse...a beautiful white horse..maybe he has escaped from the local farms ..wait,what...the horse has ...eight legs...  
maybe he was deformed...but the energy of this creature was so soothing and hypnotic...  
as if he was talking to him...  
............................................................  
everyone were excited when he has showed them the picture...and above everyone, mister-i-am -icy-cold william thompson...his darling daddy.  
"go there ,see him...search for  the horse..."  
his intuition was quite loud...after so many years he was afraid that he has gone mad.this,strange horse has became his obsession...and he didnt know why...but he knew,that he know him...somehow...  
"i need to know"-he said as he laid upon the sofa in the office of petula.

  
"are you sure ,you want to do this.not many are open for the regression therapy...seeing your past lives may or may not work.but if it does,it may be very disturbing."  
"it doesn't matter,please proceed.."

  
"alright,william.i need you relax..."

  
therapy that enabled him to go backwards in time has opened his mind above the normal human s limitations...he has seen the majestic world or gold...the land of the dead...armies ..now many things did made sense...even the horse...even sleipnir...  
.....................................................................................

  
he was so buried and overwhelmed by his cases,by the same damn court room,by all those antagonists and protagonists he was to defend...how wretched his jobs has became ...or it always was...but he was aiming high...high to the starts,so he did not perceive his grave mistakes in time...he has neglected his loved ones .and the  forest ...has it been years ,since he has last been there,..maybe it was all his imagination...maybe...the years passed,then the decades..  
philip and peter have gone to college...peter has changed few of them,firstly he wanted to be like his aunt becky,a trainer,then he wanted to be detective,then he has finally decided to study politics.which was a surprise.  
philip knew from the start -a librarian,for he loved books.and solitude.  
dorian has become a professional post modernist photographer,and his rose a landscape designer. they have married.  
rebeca and jack have finally got a boy ,and named him rex (lat. king).time does heal some things ,not all of them ,and  the change was inevitable ...the positive side of it ,was the closeness and forgiveness his family had to lbe taught ... a lesson in  how to appreciate one another...all of them were relevant...all of them were linked to others in their own unique way...sdome cosmic forces ,much greater than temseleves were looking after them...and william was able to sense this....

  
and yes,there were the negative sides of the time...before he even saw it coming,he had to retire...now ,with not much to do,william has persuaded lydia,that the two of them should move to the cottage.he was so dedicated now to catch up on the missing time...he would have called for his family and grandchildren whom he adored so much...and played with them...and tell them tales...his,secret tales of the past,now modified into the myths...and when lydia had to work,he was alone...many more years he has spent searching for the white horse...for sleipnir...those old sore legs have been through the whole forest,numerous times...he has begun reading the book of spells in the attempts to find him... but,alas...william was now ,a poor ,sad,senile old man with a vivid fantasies...

 

........................................................................................................  
the clock has finally woken him...he was sleeping for hours,and yet he was still so very very tired...soon, he will leave this broken body...soon...his head moved onto the side ,so that he may observe the trees trough the window...there was still some unfinished business which he had to do...he was not ready...not yet....a tears falling down his face... he was weeping...he was so scared....he thought of himself to be a failure...and he will die as a failure...

  
"no...you are not...you were a good man..."

  
william blinks few times ...the white horse was at the window...

  
"i am dreaming this, aren't i ...."

  
"no,you are not...for i am truly here."

  
the animal was communicating mentally...  
" but..why now...why after all this years..i craved to see you for so long.."

  
"i have never stopped caring about you,but you had to learn .."

  
"what...what.."

  
"you were prone to limiting yourself to the one thing alone...either your vocation or your obsessions ..but none of that did matter...and now when you have achieved what was meant to be achieved...i was allowed to see you. you have connected and cured the ill relationships within all of them...those for whom you care so much about.yes,you did well..."  
"so...i am not such a failure ,after all..."

  
william wanted to laugh ,but he coughed a bit.  
"no,not at all..."

  
"i love you...son..."

  
"as i do you...father..."

  
when his family entered the room william was already gone...he seemed so serene and had a small ,soft  ,smile on his lips...

his path did not end here, it was merely continuing...

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for those who still didnt get it:
> 
> william thompson (thomas willam hiddleston lol)-loki
> 
> lydia-hel
> 
> christine-valera
> 
> eric-fandral
> 
> ema-adyssa
> 
> jack-thor
> 
> philip-jormungandr
> 
> peter-fenrir
> 
> rebecka-sif
> 
> dorian-lucien
> 
> rose-daisy
> 
> lydia s dad-mror
> 
> sleipnir- seriously?
> 
> eric s duaghters-fandral did had a bunch of kids he didnt know about
> 
> as u may see,some things were repeating even now...


End file.
